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The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. Currently there are, depending on the authority consulted, between 2000 and 3000 species of rodent—roughly half of all mammal species. Rodents are found in vast numbers on all continents (they are the only placental order other than the bats to reach Australia without human introduction), most islands, and in all habitats bar the oceans.
Most rodents are small. The tiny African Pygmy Mouse is only 6 cm in length and 7 grams in weight. On the other hand, the Capybara can weigh up to 45 kg (100 pounds) and the extinct Phoberomys pattersoni is believed to have weighed 700 kg.
Rodents have two incisors in the upper as well as in the lower jaw which grow continuously and must be kept worn down by gnawing; this is the origin of the name, from the Latin rodere, to gnaw. These teeth are used for cutting wood, biting through the skin of fruit, or for defence. Nearly all rodents feed on plants, seeds in particular, but there are a few exceptions which eat insects or even fish.
Classification
The order Rodentia may be divided into suborders, superfamilies and families. This is a common classification scheme:
- Suborder Sciurognathi
- Superfamily Sciuroidea
- Family SciuridaeMany: see text. The Sciurids or squirrels are a large family of rodents. It includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, the marmots (which include woodchucks) and also the Eurasian flying squirrels, but not the African scaly-tailed flying squirr: squirrelSeveral, see text Squirrel is the common name for rodents of the family Sciuridae. In everyday speech in the English-speaking world it usually refers to members of the genera Sciurus and Tamasciurus''. These typical members of the family are tree squirrels, including chipmunkThis article is about the animal. For the military training aircraft, see De Havilland Chipmunk. Genus: Tamias Tamias alpinus (Alpine Chipmunk) Tamias amoenus (Yellow pine Chipmunk) Tamias canipes (Gray-footed Chipmunk) Tamias cinereicollis (Gray-Collareds & prairie dogCynomys gunnisoni ''Cynomys leucurus ''Cynomys ludovicianus ''Cynomys mexicanus ''Cynomys parvidens Prairie dogs are small stout-bodied burrowing rodents with shallow cheek pouches native to both North and Central America. In 2003 they came to public attes
- Family Aplodontidae : mountain beaver
- Superfamily Castorimorpha
- Family Castoridae: beaverCastor canadensis C. fiber Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe. They are the only members of the family Castoridae which contains a single genus, Castor . Genetic research has shown the European and North American populatios
- Superfamily Anomaluromorpha
- Family AnomaluridaeAnomalurids : Eukaryota : Animalia : Metazoa : Chordata : Mammalia : Rodentia Anomaluridae Genera ''Anomalurus, Idiurus, Zenkerella The Anomaluridae or scaly-tailed flying squirrels are a family of rodents found in central Africa. There are seven species,: scaly-tailed squirrels
- Family Pedetidae: springhares
- Superfamily Ctenodactylomorpha
- Family Ctenodactylidae : gundis
- Superfamily Glirimorpha
- Superfamily Myomorpha
- Family Geomyidae: pocket gophers
- Family Heteromyidae : kangaroo mice
- Family Zapodidae : jumping mice
- Family Dipodidae: jerboas
- Family Platacanthomyidae : spiny dormice
- Family Spalacidae : mole rats, bamboo rats, and zokors
- Family Calomyscidae : mouse-like hamsters
- Family Nesomyidae : climbing mice, rock mice, white-tailed rat, Malagasy rats and mice
- Family Cricetidae : hamsters, New World rats and mice, voles
- Family Muridae: true mice and rats, gerbils, spiny mice, crested rat
- Suborder Hystricognathi
- Superfamily Hystricomorpha
- Superfamily Bathyergomorpha
- Family Bathyergidae : African mole rats
- Superfamily Caviomorpha
Mammals
Rodents
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