Rodents and Rabbits by Mark What are rodents

Rodents and Rabbits by Mark

What are rodents? Rodents are a very successful group of mammals. They form the order Rodentia. They have four incisors. These keep growing, and must be kept worn down by gnawing (eroding teeth by grinding them on something hard). • This is the origin of the name, from the Latin rodere, "to gnaw", and dent, "tooth". • •

What are rodents? • Most rodents are small. • Examples of commonly known rodents are mice, rats, chipmunks, and squirrels. • Some other small rodents sometimes kept as pets are Guinea pigs, hamsters, and gerbils. • Examples of larger rodents are porcupines, beavers, and…… • the largest living rodent, the capybara, which can grow to between 105 and 135 cm in length, and weigh 35 to 65 kg.

What are rodents? • Almost half of all mammal species are rodents. • More examples of rodents are voles, prairie dogs, groundhogs, and chinchillas. • Shrews are sometimes called rodents, because they look like mice, but that is not correct. They are in the order Insectivora. • Rabbits, hares, and pikas are sometimes called rodents, because they also have teeth that keep growing. • But in 1912 biologists decided to put them in a new, separate order, Lagomorpha, because they have two extra incisors in their upper jaw.

Meet some rodents

Mice

Rats

Chipmunks

Squirrels

Guinea Pigs

Gerbils

Capybara

Rabbits

What are rabbits? • Rabbits are mammals of the order Lagomorpha. • There about fifty different species of rabbits and hares. • The order Lagomorpha is made of rabbits, pikas and hares. • Rabbits can be found in many parts of the world. • They live in families and eat vegetables and hay. • In the wild, rabbits live in burrows, that they dig themselves. A group of rabbits living together in a burrow is called a warren. Rabbits are famous for hopping and eating carrots.

What are rabbits? • In the wild, rabbits live in burrows, that they dig themselves. • A group of rabbits living together in a burrow is called a warren. • Rabbits are famous for hopping and eating carrots. • A male rabbit is called a buck, and a female is called a doe. • A baby rabbit is called a kit, which is short for kitten. • Some people have rabbits as pets. • Rabbits are also raised for their meat. • Rabbits are of a different biological classification than hares.

• Rabbits are prey animals, they are careful in open spaces. • If they sense danger, they freeze and watch. • Rabbit vision has a very wide field, including overhead scanning. • Their enemies are foxes and dogs but also bears, raccoons, minks, weasels and snakes. • Birds of prey sometimes take rabbits. • People are also known to shoot rabbits, because they eat crops. What are rabbits? • Their escape method is to run for their burrow, where they are usually safe.

The End