Explore rodent facts and guides covering classification, teeth, diets, communication, senses, habitats, shelters, food storage, social behavior, adaptations, and ecological roles.
Rabbits are not rodents. Rabbits and hares belong to the mammal order Lagomorpha, while mice, rats, squirrels, beavers, porcupines, guinea pigs, capybaras, and many other animals belong to Rodentia. The two orders are close evolutionary relatives, which helps explain why they share several features, including prominent gnawing incisors and a toothless gap behind those incisors. … Read more
A rodent is not simply a small mammal, a gnawing animal, or a creature that happens to have prominent front teeth. Rodents are members of the mammal order Rodentia, a branch of mammals united by shared ancestry and a distinctive set of skull and dental features. The most recognizable feature is one enlarged pair of … Read more
Rodents are mammals in the order Rodentia, a remarkably varied group that includes mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, beavers, porcupines, guinea pigs, chinchillas, capybaras, and many less familiar animals. What unites them is not a shared lifestyle, body size, habitat, or relationship with people. Their defining pattern is anatomical and evolutionary, especially the … Read more
