Rare Rodents

Including over 1,700 different species, the rodent family is by far the largest and most diverse order of mammals, including animals as seemingly different as the field mouse, the porcupine, and the springhaas. However, all have several characteristics in common.

Many of these similarities relate to their teeth. For example, all rodents have four incisors and lack molars. In all rodents, the incisors grow throughout the animal's life. And, all rodents have teeth which are fairly soft inside, but have hard outer surfaces.

Most scientists divide rodents into three sub-orders. These are:

Sciuromorph This sub-order includes squirrels and porcupines
Myomorpha This sub-order includes mice, rats, gerbils and similar animals
Caviomorpha This sub-order includes chinchillas, capybaras and similar animals

Common Rare Rodents as Pets

Richardson's Ground Squirrels
Dormice
Duprasi
Jirds
Spiny Mice
Pygmy Mice

Additional articles of interest can be found under
Diet & Nutrition, Choosing A Pet and Other Topics.
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