THERE ARE 2,000 SPECIES OF RODENTS

Rodents are animals of the order Rodentia (the largest order of mammals). More than 40% of mammals belong to Rodentia. They are found all over the world except Antartica.

• Rat
• Squirrel
• Porcupine
• Gopher
• Mouse
• Chipmunk
• Beaver
• Guinea Pig
• Hamster
• Prairie Dog
• Jerboa

Despite their great species diversity, all rodents share common features.

• Rodents have a single pair of incisors in each jaw, and the incisors grow continually throughout life.
• The incisors have thick enamel layers on the front but not on the back; this causes them to retain their chisel shape as they are worn down.
• Behind the incisors is a large gap in the tooth rows, or diastema; there are no canines, and typically only a few molars at the rear of the jaws.
• Rodents gnaw with their incisors by pushing the lower jaw forward, and chew with the molars by pulling the lower jaw backwards.

ANIMALS MISTAKEN AS RODENTS

• Rabbit
• Hedgehog
• Skunk

CAPYBARA: LARGEST EXISTING RODENT IN THE WORLD

WEIGHT: Up to 100 lbs LENGTH: Up to 4 feet

They can grow as big as dogs.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/

United States Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/

University of Florida – IFAS Extension http://www.maine.gov/ http://ifas.ufl.edu/

University of California Museum of Paleontology http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/

Phil Myers, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Museum of Zoology

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/

National Pesticide Information Center http://npic.orst.edu/

Pawnation – http://animals.pawnation.com/