Rodent
hideSciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing.
Forty percent of mammal species are rodents, and they are found in vast numbers on all continents other than Antarctica. Common rodents include mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, gophers, porcupines, beavers, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, degus, chinchillas, prairie dogs, and groundhogs. Rodents have sharp incisors that they use to gnaw wood, break into food, and bite predators. Most eat seeds or plants, though some have more varied diets. Some species have historically been pests, eating seeds stored by people and spreading disease.
For more information about Rodent, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with rodent
Scientists discover gene that 'cancer-proofs' rodent's cells
Oct 26, 2009 |
5 / 5 (47) |
13
(PhysOrg.com) -- Despite a 30-year lifespan that gives ample time for cells to grow cancerous, a small rodent species called a naked mole rat has never been found with tumors of any kind—and now biologists ...
Predators key to sustainable farming
Aug 21, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (5) |
0
Barn owls have emerged as the unlikely heroes in the fight against climate change, saving Malaysian farmers more than money, UQ PhD Student Chong Leong Puan has found.
Rodent size linked to human population and climate change
Jul 31, 2009 |
3 / 5 (6) |
5
You probably hadn't noticed -- but the head shape and overall size of rodents has been changing over the past century. A University of Illinois at Chicago ecologist has tied these changes to human population density and climate ...
Astrocytes help separate man from mouse
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Mar 23, 2009 |
5 / 5 (3) |
0
A type of brain cell that was long overlooked by researchers embodies one of very few ways in which the human brain differs fundamentally from that of a mouse or rat, according to researchers who published their findings ...
A synthetic derivative of the kudzu vine can reduce drinking and prevent relapse
Aug 11, 2009 |
4.7 / 5 (3) |
4
Kudzu extracts have been used in Chinese folk medicine to treat alcoholism for about 1,000 years. Daidzin is an anti-drinking substance in kudzu. A synthetic form of daidzin, called CVT-10216, can successfully reduce drinking ...
Well-timed timeout effective in wiping out fear memory response
Apr 02, 2009 |
4.3 / 5 (3) |
0
Banishing a fear-inducing memory might be a matter of the right timing, according to new research.
UCI robot to aid brain research
Nov 04, 2009 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- A robot powered by a computerized model of a rodent brain will help researchers from UC Irvine and UC San Diego understand how people recognize and adapt to change.
Extinct rodent species discovered
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Jul 28, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
0
An international team of scientists has discovered an extinct rodent species, based on fossil tooth remains found in Alborache, Valencia. Eomyops noeliae, from the Eomyidae family, represents the oldest fi ...
Sea Urchins' Digging Teeth are Designed to Stay Sharp
May 04, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sea urchins dig themselves hiding holes in the limestone of the ocean floor using teeth that don’t go blunt. Weizmann Institute scientists have now revealed their secrets, which might give engineers insights ...
Scientists find city rats are loyal to their 'hoods'
May 26, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
In the rat race of life, one thing is certain: there's no place like home. Now, a study just released in Molecular Ecology finds the same is true for rats. Although inner city rodents appear to roam freely ...
How mice and humans differ immunologically
Aug 10, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Edith Hessel and colleagues, at Dynavax Technologies Corporation, Berkeley, have identified the reason that humans and rodents respond differently to a molecule that is being developed to treat allergic diseases.
General anesthetics lead to learning disabilities in animal models
Oct 22, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Studies by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have shown that blocking the NMDA receptor in immature rats leads to profound, rapid brain injury and disruption of auditory function as the animals mature.
A biology whodunnit: are rodents helping protect trees from fire?
Nov 12, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
Tom Parker has made an unusual find. In California forests and shrubland that burned in 2008, he has spotted Manzanita seedlings sprouting in tight clusters, suggesting that the young shrubs emerged from underground ...
Scientists find new link between insulin and core body temperature
Nov 19, 2009 |
5 / 5 (1) |
0
A team led by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a direct link between insulin—a hormone long associated with metabolism and metabolic disorders such as diabetes—and core body temperature. While ...
Of mice and men: Cognitive scientists find both species equally adept at assessing risk
Biology /
Feb 02, 2009 |
4 / 5 (1) |
0
Humans and mice are both good at assessing risk in everyday tasks, according to a study by Rutgers University scientists published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
