List of rodents (2024)

FAQs

Are rodents of unusual size real? ›

The Real Rodents of Unusual Size

As it turns out, the Rodents of Unusual Size (ROUS) are based on a very real swamp rat named the nutria rat. This rodent can weigh 9-20 lbs and looks like a mixture of a rat and beaver (with a little platypus thrown in for good measure).

ro·​dent ˈrō-dᵊnt. 1. : any of an order (Rodentia) of relatively small gnawing mammals (such as a mouse, squirrel, or beaver) that have in both jaws a single pair of incisors with a chisel-shaped edge. 2. : a small mammal (such as a rabbit or a shrew) other than a true rodent.

Chipmunks, marmots, woodchucks, squirrels, prairie dogs and gophers belong to one rodent group. Another group includes common house mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, lemmings and voles. Another well known group contains porcupines, capybaras, agouti, guinea pigs and chinchillas.

Resembling a giant rat, the typical nutria grows anywhere from 28 to 42 inches in length. Adults weigh as much as 37 pounds. During the 1800s, the creature was driven from much of its natural habitat, but nutria farming for the purpose of fur was eventually started in Argentina.

The discovery of an exceptionally well-preserved skull permits the description of the new South American fossil species of the rodent, Josephoartigasia monesi sp. nov. (family: Dinomyidae; Rodentia: Hystricognathi: Caviomorpha). This species with estimated body mass of nearly 1000 kg is the largest yet recorded.

Many people assume that raccoons are rodents, but they're from the procyonid genus. These small mammalian carnivores have powerful jaws and teeth. Distantly related to cats and dogs, they share a common evolutionary ancestor with bears. Endlessly adaptive, raccoons are among the more intelligent mammal species.

Are skunks rodents? Skunks are a type of mammal that belongs to the Mephitidae family that people often mistakenly associate with rodents. Mammals are vertebrates that have fur or hair, and the females give birth to live offspring and secrete milk.

Kangaroos and wallabies are marsupials that belong to a small group of animals called macropods. They are only found naturally in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Most macropods have hind legs larger than their forelimbs, large hind feet and long muscular tails which they use for balance.

not a rodent. Like its cousin the possum, the opossum is a marsupial, which is to say that it is an animal that has a pouch. It uses this pouch to carry its young around.

What looks like a rat but is not a rat? ›

One animal that is sometimes seen and mistaken for a rat is in fact a small carnivorous marsupial - the Antechinus. While there are several species of Antechinus in Australia, they share several traits in common, which, taken together, can set them apart from rodents such as rats and mice.

Opossums (Didelphis virginiana) are not rodents, but they are often confused as rodents. (They are marsupials – like kangaroos!)

Cats top the list of mammals that are natural predators and actively hunt mice using their sharp senses and sharp teeth. Many people keep cats at home to deter mice and keep infestations under control. However, house cats often do not feed on the mice after killing them, as they hunt them as part of their 'playtime'.

Meet the capybara - the world's largest rodent, which also appears to be the friendliest critter on earth.

The capybara or greater capybara (Hydrocho*rus hydrochaeris) is a giant cavy rodent native to South America. It is the largest living rodent and a member of the genus Hydrocho*rus. The only other extant member is the lesser capybara (Hydrocho*rus isthmius).

No, it's a capybara, the largest rodent in the world! Standing 2 feet (60 centimeters) tall at the shoulder and built somewhat like a barrel with legs, the “capy” has long, light brown, shaggy hair, a face that looks like a beaver's, no tail, and slightly webbed feet.

Physical description. In the book, fire swamp R.O.U.S.s are described as "a pure rat strain", usually weighing 80 pounds, and running as fast as a wolfhound, about 40 miles per hour. They are also carnivorous, and can attack in a frenzy.