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Rodentia Gnawing Mammals. - Andrew Marmo. Skull Characteristics . A pair of upper and lower incisors Single open root Continuously growing Enamel on outside and exposed dentine on inside Diastema between incisors and premolars. Order Rodentia.
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RodentiaGnawing Mammals - Andrew Marmo
Skull Characteristics • A pair of upper and lower incisors • Single open root • Continuously growing • Enamel on outside and exposed dentine on inside • Diastema between incisors and premolars
Order Rodentia • Largest order of mammals with over 2000 species • 40% of mammals are rodents • Found on all continents except for Antarctica • Size and breeding cycle may be the reason for their success.
Common House Mouse (Mus musculus) • Reach sexual maturity at about 4 weeks of age. • Breed year round • 6 mice can turn into a family of 60 in 3 months
Cricetidae • Includes true hamsters, voles, and New World rats and mice. • Almost 600 species • Second largest family of mammals. -Largest in North America
Deer Mouse(Peromyscus maniculatus) • Inhabit nearly all types of land in PA • Eat seeds, berries, mushrooms, beetles, slugs, and spiders. • Name refers to their coats resemblance to a deer.
Southern Red-Backed Vole(Clethrionomys gapperi) • Found in much of upland PA • Favors cool damp forests with hemlocks, mossy rocks, and stumps • Climbs into low trees
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) • Mainly found in wetlands • Can stay submerged for up to 17 minutes • Feed mostly on aquatic vegetation • Builds dome shaped huts
CastoridaeBeaverCastor canadensis • Largest rodent in NA • Can way up to 70 lbs. • One of the few species that pair for life • Estimated 30,000 in PA. (PA GC)
ErethizontidaePorcupinesErethizon dorsatum • Second largest rodent in PA • Top speed is 2 miles per hour • Den in caves, rock crevices, hollow logs, and trees
SciuridaeSquirrels • Includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, flying squirrels, and woodchucks.
Eastern Gray SquirrelSciurus carolinensis • Can run as fast as 14 mph and jump 6 feet between trees • Black coloration (melanism) is fairly common • Dens in tree cavities and leaf nests
Fox SquirrelSciurisniger • PA is northern extent of its range • Larger than Gray Squirrel • Rare in deep forests, prefers park-like woods
Red SquirrelTamiasciurushudsonicuas • Prefers mature forests of white pine and hemlock • Eat everything from pine seeds to the young of birds • Store pinecones, nuts, and fruits in caches called middens
Southern Flying SquirrelGlaucomysvolans • More common than northern flying squirrel in PA • Can sail up to 40 feet • Most predaceous of the tree squirrels
Eastern ChipmunkTamiasstriatus • Active in the day (diurnal) • Prefer open deciduous woods • Become torpid in the winter, respiration falls from 60 to less than 20 breaths per minute
Works Cited • UCMP. Introduction to the Rodentia. . <http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mammal/rodentia/rodentia.html>. • NaturePhoto. Rodents. 2011. <http://www.naturfoto-cz.de/mammals/rodents.html>. • . Pennsylvania Wildlife. 08/22/10 . <http://pawild.net/home/show_con.php?p_id=14>.