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Small rodents
This document provides an overview of rodents by discussing their scientific classification, characteristics, behavior, interaction with humans, research methods, and taxonomy of various rodent subgroups. It notes that rodents are small mammals characterized by continuously growing incisors that they use to gnaw food and dig burrows. They tend to be social, communicate in various ways, and have diverse mating and parenting behaviors. The document also outlines methods for capturing and tagging rodents for research purposes and lists many rodent species found in Mongolia. It concludes by summarizing the taxonomic groups within rodents such as Anomaluromorpha, Castorimorpha, Myomorpha, Sciuromorpha, and Hystricom
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Small rodents
- 2. Contents 1. Introduction 2. Scientificclassification 3. Characteristics 4. Ethology 5. Interaction with humans 6. Research methods 7. Small rodents in Mongolia 8. Anomaluromorpha 9. Castorimorpha 10.Myomorpha 11.Sciuromorpha 12.Hystricomorpha 13.Reference 2
- 3. 1. Introduction Rodents aremammals of the order Rodentia, characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. There are species that are arboreal, fossorill (burrowing), and semi-aquatic. Most rodents are small animals with robust bodies, short limbs and long tails, but there are exceptions to this. They use their sharp incisors to gnaw food, excavate burrows and defend themselves. Most eat seeds or other plant material, but some have more varied diets. They tend to be social animals and many species live in societies with complex ways of communicating with each other. Mating among rodents can vary from monogamy, to polygyny, to promiscuity. Many have litters of underdeveloped, altricial young, while others have precocial young that are relatively well developed at birth. 3
- 4. 2. Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class:Mammalia Superorder: Euarchontoglires Order: Rodentia Anomaluromorpha South African springhare (Pedetes capensis) Sciuromorpha Forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) Castorimorpha Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) Myomorpha Mongolian hamster (Allocricetulus curtatus) Hystricomorpha Laotian rock rat (Laonastes aenigmamus) 4
- 5. 3. Characteristics Teeth SmellHearing Vision Whiskers Cheek pouch Digestive system Baculum Sexual dimorphism 5
- 6. 4.Ethology Feeding • Most rodentsare herbivorous, feeding exclusively on plant material such as seeds, stems, leaves, flowers and roots. Some are omnivorous and a few are predators. Social behaviour • Typically includes making alarm calls, defending territories, sharing food, protecting nesting areas and preventing infanticide. The black-tailed prairie dog forms large towns that may cover many hectares. The burrows do not interconnect but are excavated and occupied by territorial family groups known as coteries. A coterie often consists of an adult male, three or four adult females, several non-breeding yearlings and this year's offspring. Individuals within coteries are friendly with each other, but hostile towards outsiders. Communication • Olfactory • Auditory • Visual • Tactile Mating strategies • Monogamy • Polygyny • Promiscuity Birth and parenting • Altricial • Precocial • Infanticide Cognition 6
- 7. 5. Interaction withhumans Conservation Uses Pests & Disease vectors 7
- 8. 6. Capturing methods 6.1.Canal Fatal It can capture all representative species 8
- 9. 6. Capturing methods 6.2.Capture-Mark-Recapture Sherman trap Longworth trap Tomahawk trap Toe clipping Ear tag Ear punching Ring Radio collar PIT tag Painting Tattooing 9
- 10. 7. Small rodentsin Mongolia Suborder Family Subfamily Species Sciuromorpha Sciuridae Sciurinae Sciurus vulgaris Pteromys volans Xerinae Spermophilus alashanicus Spermophilus dauricus Spermophilus erythrogenys Spermophilus undulatus Tamias sibiricus Gliridae Leithiinae Dryomys nitedula 10
- 11. Suborder Family SubfamilySpecies Myomorpha Dipodidae Allactaginae Allactaga balikunica Allactaga bullata Allactaga sibirica Pygeretmus pumilio Cardiocraniinae Cardiocranius paradoxus Salpingotus crassicauda Salpingotus kozlovi Dipodinae Dipus sagitta Stylodipus andrewsi Stylodipus sungorus Euchoreutinae Euchoreutes naso Sicistinae Sicista betulina 7. Small rodents in Mongolia 11
- 12. 7. Small rodentsin Mongolia Suborder Family Subfamily Species Myomorpha Spalacidae Myospalacinae Myospalax psilurus Cricetidae Cricetinae Allocricetulus curtatus Cricetulus longicaudatus Cricetulus migratorius Cricetulus sokolovi Phodopus campbelli Phodopus roborovskii Arvicolinae Ellobius tancrei Microtus mongolicus Eolagurus luteus Microtus obscurus Eolagurus przewalskii Microtus oeconomus Lagurus lagurus Myopus schisticolor Lasiopodomys brandtii Microtus maximowiczii Microtus agrestis Microtus limnophilus Microtus gregalis 12
- 13. 7. Small rodentsin Mongolia Suborder Family Subfamily Species Myomorpha Muridae Gerbillinae Meriones meridianus Meriones unguiculatus Murinae Apodemus peninsulae Apodemus uralensis Micromys minutus 13
- 14. 8. Anumaluromorpha Anomaluromorpha isthe name given to a clade that unites the anomalures with the springhare. It has alternately been designated as either a suborder or infraorder. Most recently, Carleton & Musser 2005 recognized it as one of five suborders of rodents. Sciuromorpha+Hystricomorpha 14
- 15. 8. Anumaluromorpha 8.1. Taxonomy FamilyGenera Species Pedetidae Pedetes Pedetes capensis Pedetes surdaster Anomaluridae Anomalurus Anomalurus beecrofti Anomalurus derbianus Anomalurus pelii Anomalurus pusillus Idiurus Idiurus macrotis Idiurus zenkeri Zenkerella Zenkerella insignis 15
- 16. 8. Anomaluromorpha 8.2. Zenkerellainsignis IUCN: Least concern Range description: Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo Habitat and ecology: Tropical moist forest and semi-deciudous forest, with a few individuals collected close to arboreal savannas, apparently tolerating climates ranging from relatively dry to very humid. This species is primarily nocturnal, and it is considered likely to be solitary, with little information available on its habitats or ecology. The species is uniqe among anomalurids in having no gliding membrane, which suggests that it may descend to the ground more readily than other anomalurid species. Threat: Deforestation 16
- 17. 9. Castorimorpha 9.1. Taxonomy FamilySubfamily Genus Number of species Heteromyidae Heteromyinae Heteromys 9 Liomys 5 Dipodomyinae Dipodomys 19 Microdipodops 2 Pergonathinae Pergonathus 9 Chaetodipus 17 Geomyidae Cratogeomys 4 Geomys 15 Orthogeomys 11 Pappogeomys 2 Thomomys 204 Zygogeomys 1 17
- 18. 9.Castorimorpha 9.2. Perognathus flavus IUCN:Least concern Range description: Mexico; United States Habitat and Ecology: Occurs in semi-arid or arid grasslands and shrublands. Behaviour: Nocturnal and lives in a burrow by day. It mostly collects grass and weed seeds but also eats some green leafy material. It takes the husks off the seeds before storing them in its cheek pouches and carrying them back to its burrow where they are cached. When a pile of 25 g (0.88 oz) was deposited near a burrow (sufficient for maintenance for up to 10 days), the pocket mouse collected and stored it all in one night, and still emerged to forage on succeeding nights. In cold weather it occasionally forages by day, and in really bad weather it may not come out of the burrow for several days. Home range: 60m I 1 1 C 0 0 Pm 1 1 M 3 3 × 2 = 20 18
- 19. 10. Myomorpha Suborder Myomorphacontains 1,137 species of mouse-like rodents, nearly a quarter of all mammal species. It includes mice, rats, gerbils, hamsters, lemmings and vole s. They are grouped according to the structure of their jaws and molar teeth. Both their medial and lateral masseter muscles are displaced forward, making them adept at gnawing. The medial masseter muscle goes through the eye socket, a feature unique among mammals. Myomorphs are found worldwide (apart from Antarctica) in almost all land habitats. They are usually nocturnal seed-eaters 19
- 20. 10. Myomorpha 10.1. Taxonomy SuperfamilyFamily Number of species Muroidae Platacanthomyidae 2 Calomyscidae 9 Nesomyidae 68 Cricetidae 580 Muridae 700 Spalacidae 37 Dipodoidae Dipodidae 50 20
- 21. 10. Myomorpha 10.2. Neotomaalbigula IUCN: Least concern Range description: Mexico; United States Habitat and Ecology: Inhabits arid areas, with preferred areas including rocky mountainsides, arid scrublands and cactus flats, pinyon- juniper woodlands on slopes, and desert habitats. 21
- 22. 11. Sciuromorpha Traditionally, theterm has been defined on the basis of the shape of the infraorbital canal. A sciuromorphous zygomasseteri system is characterized by attachment of the lateral masseter muscle along the side of the rostrum. Unlike hystricomorphous andmyomorphous rodents, the medial masseter muscle does not pass through the infraorbital canal. Among extant rodents, only the families Sciuridae, Castoridae, Heteromyidae, and Geomyidae are truly sciuromorphous. Some authorities would exclude the Geomyidae and Heteromyidae from that list due to the attachment of the medial masseter directly behind the zygomatic arch. 22
- 23. 11. Sciuromorpha 11.1. Taxonomy FamilySubfamily Number of species Gliridae Graphiurinae 14 Leithiinae 12 Glirinae 1 Sciuridae Sciurillinae 3 Sciuridae 84 Callosciurinae 60 Xerinae 36 23
- 24. 11. Sciuromorpha 11.2. Dryomysnitedula IUCN: Least concern Range description: Afghanistan; Albania; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Czech Republic; Georgia; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Kazakhstan; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Pakistan; Poland; Romania; Russian Federation; Serbia (Serbia); Slovakia; Slovenia; Switzerland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan Habitat and Ecology: It occurs in a broad variety of habitats including broad-leaved, mixed, coniferous and dwarf montane woodland. Also found in rocky areas, evergreen shrubland (including Mediterranean-type shrubland), and wood-steppe (Kryštufek 1999, Smith and Xie in press). The species is not found in human dominated habitats such as agricultural areas. I 1 1 C 0 0 Pm 1 1 M 3 3 × 2 = 20 24
- 25. 12. Hystricomorpha In thebroadest sense, it refers to any rodent (except dipodoids) with a hystricomorphous zygomasseteric system. This includes the Hystricognathi, Ctenodactylidae, Anomalurid ae, and Pedetidae. Molecular and morphological results suggest the inclusion of the Anomaluridae and Pedetidae in Hystricomorpha may be suspect. 25
- 26. 12. Hystricomorpha 12.1. Taxonomy SuperfamilyFamily Number of species Ctenodactyloidea Ctenodactylidae 5 Diatomyidae 1 Hystricognathi 36 26
- 27. 12. Hystricomorpha 12.2. Chinchillalanigera IUCN: Critically endangered Range description: Chile Habitat and Ecology: It occurs in barren, arid, and rugged areas of the mountain chains connecting the coastal mountain ranges and the Andes. Typical habitat is rocky or sandy with a sparse cover of thorn shrubs, few herbs and forbs, scattered cacti, and patches of succulent bromeliads toward the coast. Threat: This species has been threatened for years by human activities, including poaching, hunting, grazing by cattle and goats, mining, and firewood extraction. Despite current protection measures, populations are continuing to decline. Current hypotheses to explain this decline, as summarized by Jimenez (1996), include: (1) current numbers are lower than the minimum viable population size for long- term survival; (2) predation by foxes upon chinchillas has increased during the past decades; (3) the later decline is caused by long-term abiotic and/or biotic changes; and (4) the trend might represent the decreasing phase of a long-term natural cycle of chinchilla populations. Conservation: Legislation to protect the species has been in place since 1929, but was not efficiently enforced until the establishment of the Reserva Nacional Las Chinchillas in Auco, Chile in 1983. This species has been included in CITES Appendix I since 1977. 2 × (I 1 1 C 0 0 Pm 1 1 M 3 3 ) = 20 27
- 28. 13. References 0 http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519- 471-01-0001.pdf 0www.wikipedi.org 0 www.google.com 0 www.iucn.org 0 www.awc.org 0 Dr.Charlotte Uhlenburk “Animals and their lives” 0 Red list of Mongolia 0 http://vdt.ugent.be/sites/default/files/art79503.pdf 28