Biting strength combined with exploratory behavior gives animals the ability to interact with their environment. African mole rats have a well-developed biting apparatus and perform cooperative tasks that are mostly related to their exploratory behavior. However, the hypothesis that body mass and strength are related to activity and exploration remains to be confirmed in this taxon. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between bite force and body mass, as well as to explore potential correlations between these factors and exploratory behavior in Heterocephalus glaber. To do so, we measured the bite force and body mass of 79 young adult male and female naked mole rats from a single captive colony, including the queen. We then observed and quantified their exploratory behavior using an open field test during which they could freely enter a new environment, in the form of a new pipe linked to the housing colony. We showed that strength was correlated with mass, which in turn was associated to age. Our observations revealed that not all individuals engaged in exploration, and that those who did tended to be the strongest. We found that stronger and heavier individuals exhibited shorter entry latencies while those who explored most extensively were typically weaker, lighter and younger. Moreover, stronger and younger individuals frequently made more trips back and forth. We compare these results with findings in other species and discuss their implication in relation to interindividual variability, boldness, and social organization within this species.