Nearly 40% of mammal species are rodents, and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. Rodents include mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks and beavers, among others.
Environmentalists agree that beaver dams help the environment by creating wetlands but why are some landowners and farm owners getting riled up? How could these dams be hazardous to roads, bridges and levees? See more »
Prairie dogs may look cute and cuddly, but are these rodents harbingers of deathly plague? Since there aren't any underground pharmacies in prairie dog towns, will disease wipe out these animals?
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Porcupines know nothing of bad hair days. These walking pin cushions use their prickly "hairs" to impale any animal that may pose a threat to their well-being.
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Environmentalists agree that beaver dams help the environment by creating wetlands but why are some landowners and farm owners getting riled up? How could these dams be hazardous to roads, bridges and levees?
See more »
Agouti, a rodent found in South and Central America and southern Mexico, often kept as a pet.
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Beaver, the largest North American rodent. Beavers also are found in parts of Euope and Asia.
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Capybara, Capivara, or Carpinche, an animal found in tropical and subtropical regions of South America, especially in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.
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Cavy, the common name of five genera of rodents native to South America. The members of four genera have rounded bodies with large heads and short ears and limbs; the members of the fifth genus have rabbitlike bodies with small heads and long limbs a
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Chinchilla, a small, fur-bearing rodent. It is native to the high Andes of South America, but also lives in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
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Chipmunk, a small, burrowing North American rodent belonging to the squirrel family.
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Field Mouse, or Meadow Mouse, a small, stout-bodied rodent with short legs, small, rounded ears, a blunt snout, and a short, hairy tail.
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Gerbil, any of various small rodents native to Africa and Asia. There are many species, including the Mongolian gerbil, which is native to Asia.
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Ground Squirrel, a burrowing member of the squirrel family. Some species of ground squirrels are called gophers, although they are not related to true gophers.
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Guinea Pig, a short, stocky rodent often kept as a pet. It is believed to have been domesticated by the Incas from a South American cavy.
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Hamster, a burrowing rodent native to western Asia. It looks somewhat like a short, plump rat with thick, soft fur.
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Jerboa, a jumping rodent native to arid parts of the Eastern Hemisphere. Its body, about eight inches (20 cm) long, is covered with silky, brownish-yellow fur.
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Kangaroo Rat, a rodent of arid and semiarid regions of western North and Central America.
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Lemming, a small rodent that inhabits northern latitudes. Lemmings grow to a length of six inches (15 cm), including a one-inch (2.5-cm) tail.
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Marmot, a stout-bodied, short-legged burrowing rodent of Europe, Asia, and North America.
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Muskrat, (also called Musquash,), a large North American rodent. It is named for its musk gland secretion, which is similar to that used in perfumes, and for its resemblance to a large rat.
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Nutria, or Coypu, a large South American rodent. It has been introduced into the United States, where it inhabits marshy areas in Louisiana, Oregon, Washington, and along the Atlantic coast.
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