The first rodents saw the light of day more than 60 million years ago. The beginning of their formation coincided with the appearance of ungulates, which also ate plant foods. Therefore, the small size of rodents was the best way avoid competition in those distant and difficult times.

The smallest representatives can reach a weight of no more than 10g. The largest ones, which appeared much later, reach a maximum weight of 60 kg.

The rodent order is divided into 6 suborders, which include 29 families. Each family consists of certain species. Total number all types of rodents- 1600. Each species is unique and different from the other, depending on living conditions. Weather, predators, terrain and much more over time changed the appearance and internal structure of each representative, making the rodent more and more adapted to survival.

It would take too much time to list the entire list of rodents.

Let's get acquainted with the suborders:

• Squirrel-like

One of the most recognizable rodents. If someone did not manage to meet them in life, then everyone saw the squirrels in the photo. Some Squirrels are easily recognized by their gorgeous fluffy tails and pointed ears with tassels at the ends. Distributed quite widely across the earth. They make provisions for the winter; many species hibernate. The meat of many squirrels is very tasty. Fur is very popular among fishermen.

Gophers belonging to this family are usually pests for humans, which also carry dangerous diseases.

Tree species of dormice are similar to squirrels, while terrestrial species are similar to mice. They are a source of secondary fur.

• Beavers

These include ordinary and Canadian beavers, famous for their ability to build dams and canals. Large rodents, reaching a weight of more than 30 kg and leading a semi-aquatic lifestyle.

Gophers are also beavers. These rodents lead a predominantly underground lifestyle, like moles. For them characterized by very large cheek pouches. They tear up the earth with powerful incisors, raking it later with paws with impressive claws.

The third family included in this suborder is the pouchhoppers. The very name of these rodents suggests that outwardly they resemble small kangaroos. Their hind legs are much more powerful than their front legs, which makes them look like jerboas. They are related to gophers only by their enlarged cheek pouches.

• Porcupines

This suborder includes many rat families:

1. Rat chinchillas
2. Rockrats
3. Cane rats
4. Bristle rats
5. Laotian mountain rats

The digger family inhabits African lands. Their bodies are ideally adapted to the underground lifestyle and to digging. Their heavy, dense physique greatly simplifies their “ underground work" The naked mole rat claims to be the most social mammal on the planet. Only one female reproduces in one colony and a pair of males. The remaining individuals are sterile and perform exclusively labor functions for your colony.

Hutiids inhabit the West Indies and magnificent Cuba, allowing themselves to feast on not only plant food, but also lizards. Externally they resemble nutria, there are individuals over 7 kg.

The pig family boasts diversity: different types weigh from 100 g to 16 kg. They live in various climatic conditions : ranging from savannas to harsh mountain ranges with an unfavorable climate. Despite cold weather, do not hibernate. They have a very long gestation period relative to other rodents. Females can carry cubs for up to 70 days.

Chinchillas are distinguished by their elegant physique and valuable fur, due to which many representatives of this family are no longer left in the world. wildlife. Chinchillas can increasingly be found only on fur farms or in someone’s home as a favorite pet, or only in a photo. They are colonial animals; hundreds can live in one colony.

The only representative of the nutria family is nutria, which is often mistaken for very big rat. Nutria is semi-aquatic nocturnal rodent eating plant foods. She can stay underwater for up to 10 minutes, but is completely unable to navigate under the ice. Once in a hole, the rodent will not find a way back and will die.

Nutria is one of the favorite fish species because of its fur. Now the animals are actively bred in fur farms, using mostly semi-free confinement.

• Mouselike

These include the jerboa family, which are characterized by powerful hind legs and a tail that can be much longer than the body. B Most members of the family move exclusively on their hind legs, which significantly speeds them up and helps them escape from the predator.

Jerboas occupy a significant place in the food chain in desert regions. But these are small Rodents cause harm by destroying crops and spreading many dangerous diseases., including even the plague. Looking at the photo of this cute animal, such thoughts do not even arise. But dangers lurk where we don’t expect them!

Without mice, which are used as test subjects to test various new drugs and antidotes, humanity would be in trouble. In addition, over the past couple of decades, mice have become favorite pets.

Mole rats are burrowing rodents that lead an underground lifestyle. Due to this, they have underdeveloped eyeballs, which gives the family its name. They are characterized by wide, protruding incisors, with the help of which they dig the earth. The skull is wedge-shaped and the neck muscles are very powerful.

Nesomiids are perhaps the most diverse family of rodents. There are individuals that look like rats, and for voles and gerbils. The weight of different individuals varies from 6 g to 3 kg. They live mainly in Africa and Madagascar.

Many hamsters are known to many and have become familiar household pets. In Russia alone there are more than 60 species of hamsters.

• Spiny-tailed

Or scaletails. Part of the tail at the base is covered with scales. Rodents use their scales to cling to tree branches. and are able to move like flying squirrels. Spinytails also have a flight membrane.

Rodents make up more than a third of all mammal species. They differ from each other in size and weight. Some of them have adapted to life in extreme conditions.
The Latin name for this series is Rodentia. It comes from the verb "rodere", which translates as "to gnaw". All rodents have a similar jaw structure. They don't have fangs. There is a large space (diastema) between the incisors and molars. They have only one incisor on each side of the upper and lower jaws. Incisors have no roots. They are razor sharp. When chewing hard food, the incisors are worn out. In front they are covered with an exclusively hard layer of enamel, and their back part consists of soft dentin. Thanks to this feature, rodent teeth are self-sharpening and have characteristic appearance chisels. Incisors grow throughout the life of animals, which, in turn, must gnaw hard objects in order to grind down hard upper layer teeth. In total, rodents can have from 12 to just over 20 teeth. The chewing surface of molars can be very diverse - from tuberculate to comb-like. The lips act as a “gate” to prevent unwanted particles from entering the mouth.
Chewing muscles. For rodents, the muscles that are located behind the cheeks on the outside of the jaw are important. These muscles not only close the jaws, but also allow the lower jaw to move forward. The different development and functions of these muscles have led to the division of rodents into three major groups (other scientists identify more groups). The most common of them are mouse-like, which were able to adapt to different foods and incredible conditions life.
Spread of rodents. The wide distribution of rodents is due to the fact that these animals are very fertile. Many of them can have several litters a year, and in each they produce a large number of cubs. There is a kind of self-regulation of their fertility. Rodents have adapted to a variety of foods. During the year they could have up to 13 litters of 8 cubs each. Typically, rodents are herbivores, but under the influence of conditions, many of them have become almost omnivorous.
Unlike the babies of other mice, newborn spiny mouse babies are at least partially covered with fur.
Did you know? Even a brick wall is not an obstacle for rats. The incisors of these rodents are capable of crushing an object with a force of approximately 1680 kg per 1 cm2.
During the catastrophic increase in the number of house mice in Central California, which took place in 1926, according to researchers, there were about 20 rodents per 1 m2.
Some representatives of the slipak family (Spalacidae) dig up to 500 kg of soil within a month.

Rodents are very prolific, so many of their species are very numerous. Rodents - This is one of the many orders of mammals. During the process of evolution, many species of rodents arose. They have adapted to life in a wide variety of conditions - some live underground, others in trees or even in water.
Mouse-like. The row of mouse-like forms the most large group rodents, and, in general, a quarter of all modern mammal species. Mostly mice and rats.
Some of them, such as voles and lemmings, have short and squat bodies, perfectly adapted for digging tunnels underground or even in snow. Blind people have adapted to life underground. They do not have ears or a tail, and their eyes are covered with skin. The incisors in them protrude even with the mouth closed, since animals use these teeth mainly for digging. A wide nose helps the blind in the construction of underground galleries. Jerboas can survive even in the desert, so the necessary moisture is obtained from food.
PIG-LIKE. Representatives of the pig-like suborder, with the exception of the North American porcupine, inhabiting Central and South America. These animals are distinguished by a large head and a rounded nose. They give birth to fairly independent, fur-covered cubs. The size of pig-like animals varies greatly - from the size of a guinea pig to the size of the most modern rodent - the capybara.
Many of them live on the ground, but North American porcupines spend most of their lives in trees. Nutria belonging to this order are excellent swimmers. They have swim membranes that help them move easily in the water. The Patagonian maru can be recognized by its long legs and large ears. This animal looks like a hare. Capybaras form numerous herds that stay close to the banks of water bodies. These are the most modern rodents. Adults can weigh up to 75 kg.
Squirrel ones. In addition to the well-known squirrels, the squirrel suborder also includes beavers, chipmunks, longlegs, dormice and ground squirrels. Beavers can cut down trees with their exceptionally strong incisors. They build dams and huts from tree trunks. The eyes of arboreal squirrel species allow them to accurately determine the distance they want to travel when jumping from one tree to another. Some other species, for example, flying squirrels, can fly over considerable distances with the help of flight membranes located on the sides of the body.
EVOLUTION. Most of the prehistoric rodents whose fossils have been found in North America and Eurasia, were small animals very similar to mice. Only a few evolved species reached the size of a beaver.
About the fossilization of these ancient rodents, they are united in one common family, Paramyidae. They date back to the Paleocene period. At the beginning, these primitive rodents first developed characteristic incisors, only the front ones were covered with hard enamel.
Over time, rodents became more numerous, new forms arose, and adapted to certain living conditions. The first rodents more often moved along the ground by running, and later species appeared whose body structure and hind limbs indicate that they moved mainly by jumping. In other species, the skull, paws and claws were adapted rather to an underground lifestyle.
Mice and rats, however, formed later than other rodent families. The family of mice, including mainly ancient species of mice and rats, appears in the European layers of the Pliocene, which dates back 5 million years. Man is the main culprit in the spread of rats and mice throughout the globe.
These rodents, easily adapting to different living conditions, traveled on ships, with camel caravans, and later on trains as “stowaways.” They feel great next to a person - they settled in her house, eat her bread, spoil his things, warm themselves by her hearth. There are especially many rats and mice living in livestock farms, pantries, and warehouses where grain and other food products are stored.
Porcupine: feeds on shoots and roots of plants, often hunts insects or picks up carrion. The porcupine is active at night and rests during the day in dry burrows or rock crevices.
House mouse: most often lives in human homes and eats almost everything edible it can get its hands on. She loves grain most of all.
Beaver: The second largest rodent after the capybara. He is an excellent swimmer and diver. Characteristics beaver - swimming membranes and a flat tail covered with scales - a remarkable adaptation for life in water.
Capybara or capybara: it is the world's largest rodent. The capybara uses its powerful incisors only for eating grass. Thanks to the small swimming membranes between the toes, the animal swims well.

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Types of rodents

American badger

We usually associate rodents with rats and mice. Their bare tails, clawed paws and long snouts with protruding teeth often cause extremely unpleasant sensations. But nature has created much more types rodents Many of them are quite nice. Let's find out what rodents exist and how they differ from other animals.

What are rodents?

Of all mammals, the order of rodents is the most numerous. They live on almost all continents of our planet. They are absent only in Antarctica and on some oceanic islands.

Animals can differ from each other in every possible way in size, color, shape of the head and other parts of the body, as well as the thickness of the fur. Main general difference for all types of rodents - a pair of large long incisors at the bottom and top. These teeth grow throughout life, gradually grinding down on solid food. One more characteristic feature is a diastema - a gap (in place of fangs) between the incisors and the remaining teeth.

Animals inhabit steppes and forests, mountainous areas, river valleys and deserts. They can lead an underground and semi-aquatic lifestyle, and some have even mastered the air (flying squirrels). Rodents feed mainly on plant foods, but some species eat insects, worms, small vertebrates and other animals.

Types of rodents

The development of various ecosystems also influenced the diversity of animal characteristics. Now about 2277 of their varieties are known to humanity. Digging and underground-dwelling species have a round, ridged body shape and developed claws (mole rats). Mobile rodents, especially those that move by jumping, have a more muscular body and long, strong limbs (jerboas, jumpers, gerbils).

The sizes of these mammals range on average from 5-6 to 50 centimeters. Among the smallest rodents are the Balochistan jerboa, the northern dwarf hamster, and the little shrew. Their sizes start from 3-3.5 cm.

Large rodents are porcupines, beavers, cane rats, bristly rats, hutias with sizes of 50-100 cm. The most great representative The order is considered to be the capybara. The animal reaches a length of 1 to 1.3 meters, and a height of up to 60 cm.

Interaction with people

For humans, rodents can be both extremely useful and dangerous animals. They carry leptospirosis, salmonellosis, toxoplasmosis and other infections. Their exposure to the plague was a real disaster for the inhabitants of medieval cities.

Despite this different kinds rodents often served as a source of food and clothing materials. So, squirrels, badgers, chipmunks, and chinchillas have always been hunted for their fur. Due to their small size, unpretentiousness and ability to reproduce quickly, animals are used for scientific research and experiments.

Some rodents have also learned to benefit from human presence. Mice and rats became synanthropes - species that accompany people. They settle near human settlements, taking advantage of all the advantages of such proximity.

Some representatives of the detachment captivated us with their appearance so much that we decided to shelter them. This is how domestic rodents appeared: mice, hamsters, rats, degus, chinchillas, pigs, gerbils. Some even tame squirrels and jerboas. Most of these animals do not live long - from 2 to 7 years. A real long-liver among domestic rodents is the chinchilla. She lives up to 20 years.

Chipmunks

The chipmunk rodent belongs to the squirrel family. They differ from other members of the family by five dark stripes on the back. Almost all 25 species of these rodents inhabit exclusively North America. Outside its borders, only the Asian or Siberian chipmunk lives. Distributed from taiga regions of Eurasia (including Far East Russia, the Kamchatka Peninsula, the islands of Hokkaido and Sakhalin) to China.

These are small rodents up to 15 centimeters in length. They are densely covered with brown or red-brown fur. On the back, black stripes alternate with gray or white. The tail of chipmunks is fluffy and grows almost the size of the owner (up to 12 cm).

Chipmunks are not aggressive and can quickly get used to humans. They are excellent tree climbers, which often saves them from terrestrial predators and helps them search for food. But they arrange housing underground. The burrow can be up to three meters in length and is necessarily equipped with “pantries” for storing food.

Like hamsters, chipmunks have cheek pouches in which they carry food. They are active only during the day. During the winter, animals hibernate, curled up in a ball. In cold and rainy weather in the summer, they also wait in burrows, eating the reserves they have made.

Mice and rats

Mice or Muridae are a huge family that includes about 400 species and several hundred genera. This includes the genus of rats. Mice are usually small, up to 10-15 centimeters in size. Rats are larger and can grow up to 50 centimeters in length.

These are nocturnal omnivores. Basically, they lead a semi-terrestrial lifestyle: they hunt on the surface and build burrows underground. Animals prefer subtropical and tropical areas, but live almost everywhere. They were brought by humans even to remote islands.

Mice have smoother and more rounded features and larger ears. Rats, on the contrary, have small ears, an elongated silhouette, and a pointed muzzle. They are larger and more aggressive than their counterparts. Mice are very timid and try to avoid unnecessary encounters; rats do not always run away and are capable of attacking the enemy.

All members of the family have calluses on their paws, which help them move along trees and other surfaces. The tails may be almost naked (most rats, grass mice, yellow-throated mice) or covered with hair (black-tailed rats).

The animals themselves are also covered with thick hair. Its color is usually monochromatic or with a small splash of other shades. The color of the animals is predominantly grayish, black, brown or brown. Field mice and baby mice have reddish or yellowish fur.

Prairie and Chinese dogs

A rodent that deserves a separate story. Several years ago it literally amazed Russian gardeners. A new animal suddenly appeared on farmland and cottages, quickly destroying crops. Without understanding its origin at all, summer residents quickly dubbed the rodent a Chinese dog.

It's actually a water vole. The animal belongs to the hamster family. It grows 15-20 cm long, lives near rivers and other bodies of water, destroying fruit, cereals and vegetable crops nearby. The water vole is considered one of the main pests of the economy.

She previously lived in the region of Siberia, Kazakhstan, the Lower Volga region and the North Caucasus. But the rodent received such a strong reaction and a new name relatively recently. By the way, among rodents there are other dogs - prairie dogs. They belong to the squirrel family and live in North America. They prefer arid areas with low bushes.

Prairie dogs are quite large. They reach 35 centimeters in length and weigh about 1.5 kg. In appearance, the animals resemble marmots; they also stand on their hind legs, stretching their bodies upward and pressing their front paws to their chest. They have light fur of gray-brown shades. The tail is white on all except black-tailed dogs and Mexican dogs.

Squirrels

Squirrels are common inhabitants of city parks. They inhabit Europe temperate zone Asia, as well as America. They have a long body and a large bushy tail. The muzzle is vaguely similar to that of a mouse, but more rounded and blunt. The animal's ears are long and pointed, sometimes with fur tassels.

Their strong, muscular legs help them climb trees and jump long distances. An impressive tail is needed for balance. The color of animals ranges from bright red (common squirrel, red-tailed squirrel) and brown (Bolivian) to black and gray (Arizona, Yucatan). In winter, the fur becomes lush and thick, in summer it thins out and becomes short.

Giant squirrels - largest representatives kind. They are almost twice the size of the common squirrel, reaching a length of up to 50 centimeters. The smallest are mouse squirrels. Their size does not exceed 8 centimeters.

Animals inhabit forests because they spend most of their lives in trees. They descend only to search for food and water, and also to hide what they find under a layer of foliage. They feed on both plant and animal foods. They can eat nuts, seeds, mushrooms, as well as frogs, chicks and beetles. In winter, they find food even under a thick layer of snow, tearing apart their own and other people's hiding places.

Flying squirrels

Flying squirrels are a subfamily of squirrels. They inhabit the northern regions of Eurasia from the Scandinavian Peninsula to Chukotka, preferring deciduous and mixed forests. Their external outlines are similar to common squirrels, with the exception of some features.

They are nocturnal, so their eyes are much larger. The head of flying squirrels is more rounded, and there are no fur tassels on the ears. On the sides of animals there is a leathery membrane connecting the hind and forelimbs. During jumps, they spread their limbs to the sides, the membrane is stretched, allowing them to glide in the air. So the rodent makes jumps and flights of 50-60 meters.

They are hunted by owls, martens, sables and other predators. The flying squirrels themselves eat plant foods (buds, mushrooms, berries), as well as bird eggs and small chicks. They do not hibernate, but remain indoors during cold weather. Rodents make their homes in tree hollows on high altitude. When a hollow is found, the squirrel puts moss, leaves, and grass into it, making a round nest. Sometimes she uses abandoned nests of birds or other squirrels.

The flying squirrel is difficult to keep at home, as it needs a lot of space. But in captivity she lives about 10-13 years, which is twice as long as in natural conditions.

Jerboas

Of all the rodents, only one moves on two limbs - the jerboa. The animal lives in hot areas of the Palaearctic biogeographic region. It inhabits deserts, semi-deserts, and can live in steppes, some forest-steppes and mountains. The jerboa is found in southern Siberia, Kazakhstan, North Africa, China, Western Asia, and Mongolia.

Harsh living conditions affected the lifestyle, and most importantly, the appearance of the rodent. The animal has developed hind legs, the length of which is four times longer than the front legs and twice as long as the body. The jerboa moves in leaps up to three meters long and can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. When moving slowly, it moves to four paws.

The body of the rodent reaches from 4 to 25 centimeters. It is covered with thick brown or yellowish fur, similar in color to sand. The animals have a large head, short neck, large eyes and long ears. The long-eared jerboa boasts the largest “locators”. The tail is usually longer than the body, and is equipped with a fluffy tassel at the end. It is necessary for balance and turning while jumping.

Jerboas are nocturnal, escaping the heat in their burrows. They build different types of burrows. Some serve as temporary shelter from the sun, others serve as shelter from sudden attacks by predators, and in others they live. Permanent housing is necessarily equipped with emergency passages through which the rodent escapes if its hole is discovered.

Pigs

The guinea pig is one of the most common pets. They come from South America, namely from the Andes region, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. These are large and shapeless animals ranging in size from 20 to 35 cm. They have no tail, a blunt muzzle and floppy ears.

Guinea pigs living in the wild have thick fur of a light brown or grayish color. Decorative species differ greatly in both colors and coat length. Rodents are peaceful and good-natured, easily tamed by humans. The first to do this were the Indians, who bred them for meat and religious rituals. European traders showed them to the rest of the world, and the animals were called “sea,” that is, overseas.

The pig family also includes maras, mokos and capybaras. They all live in South America, but bear little resemblance to their counterparts. The moko or rock pig has longer legs. She is very active and jumps several meters.

Mara is also called the Patagonian hare. It grows up to 80 cm and really looks like a scythe. The animal runs well and has strong and long hind legs. The muzzle is blunt, and the ears are slightly pointed and stick up.

Capybaras are the largest of the rodents. These include capybaras. They resemble a small ungulate rather than a rodent. These are heavy animals with a blunt muzzle, small rounded ears and an elongated body. They swim and dive well and lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle.

Beavers

Although capybaras are very large, they are only found in Southern Hemisphere. But in the Northern Hemisphere, the largest rodent is the beaver. The animal reaches 1-1.3 meters in length and approximately 35 centimeters in height. His body is massive and stocky, his eyes and ears are small and not very expressive.

For swimming, the paws are equipped with membranes. During a dive, the ears and nostrils close tightly, and the eyes are covered with nictitating membranes. The tail is paddle-shaped - flat and widens towards the end. He serves as the steering wheel. When in danger, the rodent taps it hard on the water, scaring away enemies.

Beavers live near rivers and lakes. In places with steep and steep banks, animals dig deep holes with a lot of passages and labyrinths. If the coast is flat or the area is swampy, then the rodent builds a hut - a floating house made of silt and brushwood. There they live and store food.

The entrance to the house is always in the water, and a dam is built around it. It is a reliable protection against predators, and in winter it simplifies the process of searching for food. In construction, beavers have no equal. The dams are equipped with passages for rodents and a water drainage system. Their shape differs depending on the nature of the flow in the reservoir. The dams sometimes reach several hundred meters; one of the largest (850 meters) was found in the Canadian Wood Buffalo Park.

Beavers feed exclusively on plants. They prefer bark, grass, and acorns. Their hard teeth allow them to grind down trees. During the night, a rodent can knock down a tree with a diameter of 40-50 cm. Their activity begins at dusk and ends in the early morning. In winter, they do not hibernate, but they are in no hurry to leave their homes, eating reserves prepared in the fall.

Porcupines

Porcupines are the third largest rodent, reaching from 40 to 90 cm. Evolution has turned part of its fur into spines. Thanks to this, the fat and overweight porcupine became practically inaccessible to predators. Its needles seriously injure animals and can make them disabled, incapable of fast and dexterous hunting. Because of this, predators often switch to catching slower prey - humans, which becomes a serious threat to us.

Reliable protection made the rodent fearless. When danger appears, he does not retreat. Shaking its needles, it first warns the enemy, and then attacks him, approaching him with his back. Courage plays a trick on him when the animal tries to attack fast-moving cars.

The porcupine lives in foothills and deserts. It is common in India, the Middle East, Asia Minor, Italy, Transcaucasia and the Arabian Peninsula. It arranges housing in small caves and rock openings or in burrows if the soil allows them to be dug. A rodent's home can be up to 4 meters deep and up to 10 m long. The animal often settles next to humans, feeding on crops from fields and vegetable gardens.

The rodent is nocturnal. It does not hibernate, but in cold weather its activity is greatly reduced. It feeds on tree bark, plant tubers, watermelons, pumpkins, grapes and even cucumbers. Occasionally may eat insects. In the past, animals themselves became food. People caught them for their juicy and tender meat, which is said to be tastier than rabbit.

Man, for his own benefit, created the most complex mechanisms, equipment, devices, built comfortable homes and surrounded him with the most convenient things. But if you return him to natural conditions and leave him on an equal footing with animals in the struggle for survival, then, frankly speaking, it is still unknown who will win.

For example, a rat that constantly lives next to a person, one might say, lives at his expense, is very successful in bypassing the ingenious and tricky traps that people constantly come up with for it. That is, the animal evolves and develops all the time, and who doesn’t know how careful, cunning and resourceful rats are? And no matter how unpleasant it may be to admit this fact, it is true: the rat will always chase people, will always live nearby, will always carry supplies and spoil things. All that remains for a person is to wage a constant and irreconcilable struggle for territory. And something tells me that this struggle will be endless...

Description of the appearance of the rat

There are two varieties rat breed, differing in color: black and red. If the red one feels like a mistress all over the planet (well, except for the Arctic and the desert), then the black one prefers warmer and more southerly areas.

• Redhead

Torso up to 25 cm,the fur varies from gray tones to reddish brown (largely depends on nutrition, habitat, temperature). The color on the back is much richer than on the belly. The muzzle is wide, with a short, blunt nose and black round eyes. The ears are also short, and on the inside they are almost devoid of any vegetation.

The gray-pink tail is an order of magnitude shorter than the length of the body. This is one of the main differences between the red type of rat and the black one. The feet are short, pink from the shins to the pads, with separate prehensile toes. The pair of forelimbs is much shorter than the hind limbs, which also have small interdigital membranes. Each finger is equipped with a sharp, strong claw.

• Black

Despite the color definition in the name of the species, it does not always correspond to reality. In addition to graphite, with a gray tint, a black rat can be red or light gray. The belly, like the red one, is much lighter than the back, with a yellowish tint. The size of this species is up to 23 cm.The tail is not just longer than the body, but sometimes almost 1.5 times!

The ears are larger and thinner than those of the red tribesman, and are almost bare on both sides. The eyes are black. The paws in structure and shape do not differ from the red type, with the same strong, sharp claws.

Lifestyle and reproduction

Rats are very tenacious. They adapt to absolutely any conditions. This is probably why there is no corner on Earth where rats do not live. Except for the Arctic coast and desert droughts. The presence of water is important for animals, so they prefer to settle close to humans. This guarantees both a water supply and an abundance of food.

The fertility of animals is amazing. During the year, the female brings three litters, each of which contains up to 20 pups. The rat reaches sexual maturity at three (!) months.

Black rats feel most at ease in the port areas of the American continents. They are not really allowed to settle on the mainland by their red-haired brothers, who in the struggle for territory have shown themselves to be a stronger opponent. The black rat also does not reproduce as rapidly as the red one. Although the female brings 2-3 litters per year, they are much smaller in number, up to 6 cubs in total.

The red variety is nocturnal. If there is a shortage of food, it can be active during the day.

Features of the red rat:

• He has a sharp mind and very developed intellect. This makes a person’s struggle with it very difficult, often useless.

• Capable of cannibalism. If she has to starve, she is capable of attacking and devouring a fellow tribesman. Some use this feature by taming the animal and making it a “pied rat.”

• Good jumping ability. Capable of jumping up to 70 cm in height and up to 1.5 m in length.

• Very vindictive. Having harbored a grudge, he will definitely take revenge.

• Easily tamed.

Features of the black rat:

• They are nocturnal, becoming active at dusk.

• They are less susceptible to toxic substances, due to which they have high survival rate.

• Not as bold as redheads.

• Less developed intelligence compared to the red one (but still much higher than that of other rodents).

Damage from rats to farms

Rats have always brought destruction with their raids, and not a little:

• Destroy any crops at any growth phase. The damage is especially impressive when there is a deficiency of other nutrition.

• Stripping off the bark of trees leads to its death. Entire gardens can be destroyed in this way.

• “What I don’t eat, I’ll render it unusable” is the motto of the rat, which will cover everything that it couldn’t drag away or swallow with excrement and dirt.

• They destroy the nests of poultry, steal eggs, and attack both adult birds and chicks.

• They spoil containers (boxes, bags, nets, etc.), further increasing losses during transportation and storage of products.

Photos of rats

• Mechanical traps, traps.

• Breeding birds of prey.

• Preventive maintenance for cleaning garbage cans and heaps.

• Raising a rat catcher from the rat itself.

• Services of companies involved in pest control.

The fight against rats must be merciless, until complete victory. Do not forget that the rodent is also a carrier of the most dangerous, deadly diseases: plague, rabies, leptospirosis, etc.

Video "Why you should be afraid of rats"

Types of hamsters

If you decide to have a little one fluffy pet, you should know that, unlike a dog, he will not become your servant or property. The hamster will simply live next to you and communicate with people only when he wants to. The word “master” does not exist for him, and, alas, you will have to come to terms with this.

Most hamsters found in the wild are quite large animals. The body length of some individuals reaches 30 cm. Keeping them at home, as a rule, can be very problematic.

In the family of hamsters there is also a genus of hamsters, numbering 5-7 species, distributed mainly in the forest-steppe and steppe zones Europe and Northern Asia. The size of these animals is small: their body length does not exceed 15 cm. Many of them do not require complex care, so they are domesticated and successfully kept in captivity.

Common hamster

The common hamster is a very beautiful animal. His fur is colored bright colors: the back and sides are red, the belly is black, the paws and nose are white, there are 3 white spots on the chest and sides of the head. Occasionally there are specimens with black and white and almost black coloring. The body length of the animal is 25-30 cm.

Common hamsters live in the steppe and forest-steppe zones of southern Europe, Western Siberia, Northern Kazakhstan and east of these regions, up to the Yenisei, sometimes penetrating further north. Animals willingly settle on the outskirts of fields and vegetable gardens.

Hamsters dig good-quality holes, the depth of which sometimes reaches 2.5 m. In them they arrange numerous storage rooms connected by tunnels, as well as nesting chambers. At the end of summer, animals begin to stock up for the winter, filling their pantries with grain, potatoes, carrots, corn and other similar products.

The weight of stored food usually reaches 10-20 kg, although there have been cases when up to 90 kg of grain was found in hamsters' pantries. Animals need these reserves for nutrition in winter, when they periodically wake up and, having had enough, go into hibernation again. In addition, this food will be useful to animals in the spring, during the period of lack of sufficient food.

In summer, hamsters feed on green grass, roots, plant seeds, catch and eat insects, and sometimes small animals, such as mice. Rodents are active at night. If an enemy (fox, dog or person) unexpectedly blocks the hamster's path into its hole, it may rush at the enemy and bite him painfully.

From April to October, females have 2 or 3 broods of 10 to 20 young. During the period of mass reproduction, hamsters cause significant damage to fields, so they have to be exterminated. Animal skins are used as cheap furs.

Rat hamster

The rat-like hamster is found in Primorye, Korea and China. He usually settles in river valleys. The body length of the animal is 18-25 cm. Distinctive feature This species has a rather long tail. Its length, equal to 7-10 cm, is usually approximately 2 times less than the length of the animal’s body. The tail is gray-brown in color, with the bottom and tip being lighter than the top. Unlike the longer rat tail, the rat hamster's tail is hairy and does not have transverse rings. This type of rodent differs from water rats and large voles in having large ears and colored White color paws.

Compared to other members of the genus, the rat-like hamster digs the most complex burrows. In its pantries, the animal accumulates large reserves of seeds or grain from nearby fields. He eats this food throughout the winter. In summer, rat-like hamsters eat the seeds of herbaceous plants, as well as greens and animal food. Rodents breed from April to October. During this period, the female manages to feed 2-3 broods, the number of cubs in which sometimes reaches 20, but usually there are from 8 to 10.

Gray hamster

The gray hamster lives in the territory of the European part of Russia north to the Moscow region and the mouth of the Kama and Oka, as well as in the Caucasus and the south of Western Siberia to the foothills of the Altai in the east. Prefers cereal and wormwood steppes, semi-fixed sands, areas of dry mountain steppes, and agricultural lands. Sometimes the animal can be found in urban buildings. The hamster was brought to Moscow, and wild individuals took root in some areas of the city (for example, near the Belorussky railway station).

The gray hamster is a small, short-tailed animal. The length of its body is 9.5-13 cm, and its tail - 2-3.5 cm. The hamster's ears are relatively small, round in shape; pointed muzzle; the feet are slightly pubescent, the digital tubercles are clearly visible on them; the tail is covered with short hairs.

The body color of a gray hamster can be smoky-gray, dark gray or brownish-gray, less often - reddish-sandy. Some individuals have a dark stripe running along the head and tail, colored to match the main color. The fur on the belly is light gray or white, and the fur on the legs is white.

The animal's food consists mainly of immature seeds and inflorescences of wild and cultivated plants. In addition, the hamster feeds on terrestrial mollusks, beetles, ants, grasshoppers, and insect larvae.

For the winter, the animals store a lot of food, but in hibernation Only those animals that live in the north of the range and in the high mountain regions fall.

Hamsters breed from April to October. During this period, the female manages to feed 2-3 broods. There are from 3 to 10 cubs in a litter, but most often 7 are born.

Gray hamsters are kept at home. The rules for caring for them are the same as for Syrian hamsters.

The Daurian hamster is found in the steppe and forest-steppe zones in the territory from the Irtysh to Transbaikalia, as well as in the meadows of Southern Primorye. The body length of the animal is from 8 to 13 cm, the tail is 2-3.5 cm. The hamster prefers to make burrows on the edges, in ravines, bushes, on the outskirts of fields, and in the sandy steppes its favorite habitat is caragana thickets.

The fur of the Daurian hamster is brown or reddish. A black stripe runs along the forehead and along the back of the animal. The abdomen is gray, the ears are edged with white.

The animal feeds on seeds and eats insects. The hamster does not hibernate for the entire winter. Usually he periodically falls asleep for several days, but during periods of wakefulness he almost never leaves the burrow.

Long-tailed hamster

The long-tailed hamster lives in mountain steppes Tuva, Sayan and South-Western Transbaikalia. The animal prefers to settle on rocky mountain slopes, on screes and in rocks. He makes burrows under stones among the rocks.

The body length of a long-tailed hamster is 9-12 cm, the tail is 3-5 cm. The fur of the animal is most often dark gray, sometimes with a reddish mark, and light gray on the abdomen. The ears, like those of the Daurian hamster, are bordered by a thin white stripe. The tail is dark gray above and light gray below.

The long-tailed hamster feeds on plant seeds. He especially loves the seeds of wild almonds, caragana and cereals. Willingly eats animals and insects. In winter, it hibernates only occasionally.

The breeding season for long-tailed hamsters lasts from April to August. The number of cubs in a litter ranges from 4 to 9.

Eversman's Hamster

The habitat of the Eversmann's hamster is quite extensive. The animal is distributed in the territory from the Middle and Lower Volga to the upper reaches of the Lena River in the east and south to the Aral Sea. He prefers to settle in wormwood steppes, salt licks, virgin lands and the outskirts of plowed lands. The hamster never makes its burrows in overly humid places.

The Eversmann's hamster is slightly larger in size than a regular house mouse. He has a very small tail and short legs. The animal's muzzle is slightly pointed, the ears are small, with rounded tips, the soles of the paws are slightly pubescent, with clearly visible digital tubercles, the tail is slightly compacted, covered with thick short and soft hairs, and widens at the base.

The Eversmann hamster is characterized by a variety of colors. The color of the fur on the back varies from black and white to ash-sandy and fawn-red. The pure white color of the abdomen contrasts sharply with the dark fur on the sides. On the neck and between the front legs on the chest there is a clearly defined spot of a brownish or buffy color. The paws and bottom of the tail are white. The hamster's short fur is surprisingly soft and velvety.

The animal feeds mainly on seeds and shoots of cereal grasses, wormwood, saltwort, and tulip bulbs. Occasionally it eats insects and their larvae.

The burrows of the Eversmann hamster are relatively simple. They consist of a main passage, which can be inclined or vertical, and a nesting chamber. Some hamsters break through branching tunnels.

The breeding season for animals begins in April and ends in September. During this time, the female raises 2-3 litters. Each litter has 4-5 cubs. Eversmann's hamsters hibernate in October. It is often intermittent.

Djungarian hamster

The Djungarian hamster belongs to the genus of hairy-footed hamsters. This species has been studied better than others. Under natural conditions, the animal is distributed in the steppes and semi-deserts of Western Siberia, Central and Central Asia, as well as in North-East Kazakhstan.

Djungarian hamsters prefer to settle in xerophytic grass-desert, wormwood and cinquefoil steppes without bushes. These animals can also be found in gravelly steppes and semi-fixed sands, and occasionally on cultivated lands. IN last years they have firmly established themselves in the vivariums of scientific institutions and in living corners.

Adult Djungarian hamsters reach a length of 10 cm. The animal has a pointed muzzle and small ears. The soles of the paws are covered thick hair, hiding the digital tubercles. The fur on the back is brownish or buffy-gray. In some animals it is darker on the sides. The abdomen is light. The border between the color of the back and abdomen is clearly expressed. A narrow black stripe runs along the spine of the Djungarian hamster. His paws are white, his ears are also white on the inside and black on the outside.

In summer, the color of the animals becomes grayish. In winter, especially when kept in cool rooms, they become almost white, and the ridge acquires a silver-gray color.

Djungarian hamsters are active at dusk and at night. The animals make burrows with several entrances, holes and a nesting chamber. Animals feed mainly on seeds and green parts of herbaceous plants. They also eat insects. Hamsters store seeds for the winter. They do not hibernate. By November-December, the fur of the animals becomes white, thanks to which they can from time to time get out of their burrows to the surface.

Representatives of the genus of hairy-footed hamsters, which include the Djungarian, Siberian hamsters, and Roborovsky's hamster, are very decorative. These animals have thick fur that covers not only the body, but also the soles of the hind legs. These animals reach only 10 cm in length. They have a very short tail (from 0.8 to 1.5 cm). The ears are black, edged with a white stripe.

The breeding season lasts from March to September. During this time, the female manages to feed 3-4 broods, each of which contains 6-8 (sometimes up to 12) cubs. Hamsters reach sexual maturity very early. Having reached 4 months of age, young animals from the first brood can already reproduce.

Djungarian hamsters are cute, good-natured animals that live well in captivity.

Siberian hamster

Siberian hamster in his own way appearance very similar to the Djungarian and belongs to the same genus of hairy-footed hamsters. But his fur is much lighter than that of the Djungarian hamster. In winter it also turns white. The Siberian hamster lives in the dry flat and hilly steppes of Tuva. The animal digs holes the same as the Djungarian hamster.

Roborovsky's hamster

Roborovsky's hamster - the third species of the genus of hairy hamsters - lives in weakly fixed sandy deserts overgrown with caragana. This is a very small animal with a short tail, which is almost invisible under its fluffy fur. The hamster has a snub-nosed muzzle, relatively large, rounded ears, and the soles of its paws are densely pubescent. The color of the back is pink-fawn, the abdomen and legs are pure white. There are small white spots above the eyes. Black ears have a white border. There is no stripe on the back.

The food for the Roborovsky hamster is mainly the seeds of beets, caraganas, solyankas, cereals, sedges, and tulip bulbs. The animal catches and eats insects only occasionally.

Hamsters are active at dusk and at night. The burrows in the sand are shallow. They consist of 1-2 passages and a nesting chamber. The breeding season lasts from May to September. During this time, the female brings 3-4 litters, each of which contains from 3 to 9 cubs.

Several years ago, the Roborovsky hamster gained popularity as a pet. This is an ideal pet because it is unpretentious to living conditions and does not require complex care.

At the bottom of the metal cage in which the animal will live, pour a layer of sand 2-3 cm thick, put several stones, moss, hay, thin twigs and place a box where the animal can hide from prying eyes and rest. When sand becomes dirty, replace it with clean sand.

Taylor's dwarf hamster

Taylor's dwarf hamster lives in Arizona, Texas, south-central Mexico, southern Mexico and Central America to Nicaragua. The animals usually live in clearings or grassy edges. They create a network of paths under the thick grass. Rodents make nests in small depressions under the protection of a bush or stone.

Dwarf hamsters feed mainly on plant foods - seeds and shoots of grass, but sometimes they also eat insects. Animals are active in dark time days. The radius of an individual plot for Taylor's hamster is small - about 30 m. There are usually from 15 to 20 individuals per hectare.

The smallest of the mouse-like rodents that live in North and South America are dwarf hamsters. Their body length is only 5-8 cm, the tail is slightly shorter. The weight of adult individuals does not exceed 7~8 g. The back of dwarf hamsters is grayish-brown, and the abdomen is light.

Rodents breed all year round. The female's pregnancy lasts 20 days, after which she gives birth to 1 to 5 cubs (usually 3). In total, one female can feed up to 10 broods per year. Newborn cubs are quite large. Each of them weighs about 1 g. It is interesting that the male of dwarf hamsters does not leave the nest after the birth of the offspring. He stays with the female and even helps her care for the cubs, which is absolutely uncharacteristic for rodents.

After 20 days, the young animals leave the nest and begin to live independently. They reach sexual maturity already at 10 weeks of age.

Dwarf hamsters live and breed well in captivity. These good-natured animals very quickly get used to humans, become tame and very rarely bite. They can be kept in large groups.

Altiplano hamsters

Altiplano hamsters got their name from their habitat. They live on the dry highland plains of the Andes, from southern Bolivia to northern Chile, at an altitude of 4000-4600 m above sea level. They inhabit mainly rocky and rocky areas.

In appearance, these rodents resemble gerbils or mice and rats with well-furred tails. The body length of the animals ranges from 8 to 17 cm. The length of the tail is approximately the same. The thick and soft fur of altiplano hamsters is colored in brownish-yellowish tones. The belly or chest and neck are pure white.

Altiplano hamsters are nocturnal animals. During winter, the animals presumably hibernate, since at this time of year they do not show any signs of activity. The main food for rodents is insects.

Usually altipla hamsters do not make their own burrows. They settle among stones or occupy other people's nests, often expelling the previous owner from them. There are cases of rodents entering human buildings, but human dwellings in such high mountain areas are very rare.

Golden or Syrian hamster

The golden, or Syrian, hamster is one of the best inhabitants of a home living area. It is unpretentious, hardy and prolific. In addition, this is a very funny animal that will give you a lot of pleasure with its habits. Since, unlike other types of hamsters, it is the Syrian hamster that has gained the greatest popularity as a pet, in what follows we will mainly talk about it.

The golden hamster is a small animal. It is 2 times smaller in size than a rat. This rodent is very similar to an ordinary hamster. But unlike its large and angry relative, which brings a lot of harm to people, the Syrian hamster is a completely harmless creature. In addition to the fact that it has become one of the most desirable inhabitants of living corners, this animal is indispensable as a laboratory animal for a wide variety of scientific research.

The body length of the golden hamster reaches 17-18 cm. It is stocky. The animal's tail is very short. The fur on the back is usually reddish-brown, buffy-brown or golden yellow. It is thick, soft and velvety.

The abdomen is light. Currently, breeders have developed several varieties of the Syrian hamster.

In nature, Syrian hamsters prefer to live in foothill steppe landscapes, meadow steppes and crops. They live alone in burrows, the depth of which reaches 2-2.5 m. Like all their relatives, Syrian hamsters make provisions for the winter. They hibernate at temperatures around 4°C.

In captivity, the Syrian hamster lives a short time - 2-2.5 years, but when good conditions content can last 3 or even 4 years.