Representatives of rodents and lagomorphs feed mainly on plant foods. They have large and sharp incisors, molars with a flat chewing surface, and no fangs. The intestines of these animals are elongated. This is an adaptation to the assimilation of gross plant food which is slowly digested.
Squad Rodents- the largest group of mammals (about 2000 species are known). These are small and medium sized animals. The largest representative is capybara, or capybara, living in South America. The body length of this animal is up to 1.5 m, weight - up to 60 kg. The capybara swims and dives well, and its meat is eaten.
Rodents are distributed on different continents and lead an aboveground, underground, arboreal or semi-aquatic lifestyle. They have 4 incisors, 2 on each jaw. The incisors are covered with enamel only on the front and are constantly sharpened on the side where it is missing. The incisors, and in some species the molars, are devoid of roots and therefore grow throughout life. Capable of reproducing quickly. For example, voles can give birth to 7-8 litters per year, with an average of 5 young each.
Everyone knows Guinea pigs from the genus Kavia, which are kept as ornamental animals. But these animals have nothing to do with the seas. Their homeland is South America. There they were domesticated by the Inca tribes even before the arrival of Europeans. Over time, they found their way to Europe. Therefore, it is more correct to call them “overseas pigs.”
Common squirrel - a well-known forest dweller. Lives in tree hollows or nests that it makes in trees. The squirrel feeds on conifer seeds, mushrooms and berries, as well as invertebrates and small vertebrates (lizards, bird eggs, chicks, small rodents).
Beaver leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, inhabiting the banks of small rivers, lakes, etc. These animals can reach significant sizes: body length - up to 1 m, weight - up to 30 kg. The flattened and widened tail helps them swim in water. Beavers lubricate their fur with the secretion of their skin glands, protecting it from getting wet. These animals live in colonies and build characteristic beaver “huts” , with a diameter of up to 10 m and a height of up to 3 m. In reservoirs with variable water levels, beavers build dams. With the help of powerful incisors, they chew off tree branches and even knock down large trees. Thanks to dams, they maintain a constant water level in the dams, preventing their homes from drying out. They eat plant foods.
Another valuable commercial species is muskrat (body length up to 36 cm, weight up to 1.3 kg). Its homeland is North America; it was brought to Europe at the beginning of the 20th century. The muskrat leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle, swims and dives well. Lives in so-called huts, built of grass and soil, or in burrows, the entrance to which is located under water. It feeds mainly on aquatic vegetation.
In northern Europe and North America live lemmings. Some species of these rodents change their color to white for the winter, which makes them invisible against the background of white snow. And in the hoofed lemming, the claws on some fingers increase in size, taking the form of small hooves (hence their name).
Nutria , like the muskrat, is also acclimatized in Europe. Its homeland is South America. Leads a semi-aquatic lifestyle. But unlike the muskrat, it cannot live permanently in bodies of water that are covered with ice in winter. Therefore, she is bred in semi-free conditions.
The largest group is mouse-like rodents. These include mice (house, forest), rats (gray and black), hamsters, voles (they differ from mice more short tail) etc. At the same time house mouse, gray and black steel rats synanthropic species - animals whose optimal living conditions are human housing and places near it.
Black rat can carry plague pathogens. Since this species often settles in river and sea ships(as well as gray rat), in port cities special quarantine sanitary and epidemiological stations are created, which should prevent the appearance of these rodents. When settling in human homes or food warehouses, mice and rats spoil food. Material from the site
Common hamsters And grey They have voluminous cheek pouches in which they carry food to their homes. In the system of passages in the soil, hamsters create chambers, storing in them up to 30 kg of food (grain, potatoes, carrots).
Mole rats lead an underground lifestyle, creating a complex system of passages in the soil. They dig the soil with the help of incisors, and push it out with their heads. The underground lifestyle affected the structure of these animals: mole rats do not have ears, small eyes are hidden under the skin, and short, thick hair. They feed on underground parts of plants, storing them in their tunnels. Species of mole rats (sandy, Bukovinian, Podolsky, white-toothed) need protection.
Types of hamsters
If you decide to get a small furry pet, you should know that, unlike a dog, it 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 living in wildlife, 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 North 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, in Northern Kazakhstan and east of these regions, up to the Yenisei, sometimes penetrate 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 look is quite a 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. Rat hamsters eat seeds in summer herbaceous plants, as well as greens and animal foods. 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 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 beams, bushes, on the outskirts of fields, and in the sandy steppes it favorite place habitats are thickets of caragana.
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 the mountain steppes of Tuva, Sayan and Southwestern 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. IN 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 recent years, they have firmly established themselves in the vivariums of scientific institutions and in living areas.
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 with thick hair that hides 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. Along the ridge Djungarian hamster there is a narrow black stripe running through it. 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 covering not only the body, but also the soles 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
The Siberian hamster is very similar in appearance 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 karagana. 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 plant feed-seeds and shoots of herbs, but sometimes they also eat insects. The animals are active at night. 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 living in the Northern 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. Moreover it is very funny animal, who will give you a lot of pleasure with his habits. Since, unlike other types of hamsters, it is Syrian hamster gained the greatest popularity as a pet, in what follows we will mainly talk about him.
The golden hamster is a small animal. It is 2 times smaller in size than a rat. This rodent is very similar to common 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.
Pet rodents have always been very popular. Parents often purchase them for their children. Previously, the main types of rodents kept at home were hamsters and mice, but now you can find more unusual animals in the pet store. When choosing a pet, you need to take into account its behavioral characteristics, as well as its attitude towards people. If you communicate with him regularly, he will get used to his owner and become a true friend.
- hamsters;
- rats;
- mice;
- chinchillas;
- chipmunks;
- proteins;
- degu;
- Guinea pigs;
- gophers;
- marmots;
- hares;
- rabbits;
- grain;
- corn;
- barley;
- oats
- boiled chicken bones;
- persimmon;
- cucumbers;
- carrot;
- apples;
- grain mixture for rats;
- yogurt;
- Super premium dog food.
- clover;
- wheatgrass;
- mallow;
- plantain;
- dandelion leaves;
- yarrow;
- shepherd's purse;
- sedge;
- nettle.
- hay;
- lettuce, plantain;
- leaves, bark and branches of linden, pear, willow, apple tree;
- flowers and leaves of dandelion and clover;
- alfalfa;
- grain mixture (cereals, oats, millet, barley, wheat);
- dried fruits (pears, apples).
Show all
Popular pet rodents
Rodents that live in indoor environments do not require the same amount of human attention as a dog or cat. Usually there is no need for animals to be toilet trained, because they relieve themselves on the wood floor in the cage. You can leave your pet with your neighbors during your vacation, as it is easy to care for.
List of pet rodents that are popular:
To choose a pet, you need to know what each type of rodent is.
Small animals
Small pet rodents are very popular because they are easy to care for. A house must be equipped for them, in which a feeder, a drinking bowl and small toys are placed.
Hamsters
The hamster is a very popular pet rodent. But you need to keep in mind that this is a nocturnal and aggressive animal. He often sleeps during the day. If you add a relative to it, conflicts will begin, sometimes leading to the death of one of the animals. To accustom a rodent to your hands, you will need persistence and patience. Otherwise, it may bite painfully.
Hamsters need a durable wire cage, equipped with a wheel, a house, and tunnels. They are unpretentious in food. It is recommended to give them seeds, peas, oats, rye, and wheat. Among succulent foods, the animals prefer carrots, cucumbers, cabbage (not white cabbage), celery, beets, apples, and corn. Hamsters are very shy, so it is forbidden to shout or talk loudly near the cage. Average duration life of this small rodent is 2–3 years.
Mice
Decorative mice adapt quicklyto new living conditions, unpretentious in maintenance and care. Most often, these representatives of rodents are nocturnal. They calmly go into the arms of their owner. Mice should be kept in a metal cage, because they chew through wooden housing. The bottom is covered with paper or shavings. The home is also equipped with various toys - ladders, branches, pots, running rings. Decorative mice live in groups and, without communication, withdraw into themselves and may even die from boredom.
Rodents should be fed:
It is recommended to give them dry food. Since mice have a very high metabolism, you need to constantly monitor the fullness of the feeder. To avoid problems with teeth, it is recommended to supply them with twigs fruit trees, on which they will grind the incisors. The lifespan of mice is from 2up to 5 years.
Rats
Decorative rats are small animals with more long nose than in mice. They are smart, sociable, and easily make contact with people. You can't leave them alone, as they will get bored. For the animals, they purchase a low, long cage (from 60 cm in length), in which ladders, ropes, and hammocks are placed, since they love this kind of obstacle.
Rats are omnivores and eat food of animal and plant origin.
Can be given to rodents:
You should not place the cage in a draft, because rodents often suffer from colds. Rats live very short lives - only 3 years.
Guinea pigs
For home care Guinea pigs are also suitable. The animals received this name due to the fact that they were brought from America, and also due to the sound they make, similar to grunting. They are also known as Guinea pig, cavy or kewi.
Guinea pigs can become attached to their owner and enjoy interacting with him. The popularity of this animal is due to its unpretentiousness, attractive appearance, good-natured character and peaceful temperament.
Due to improper diet, guinea pigs often get sick and even die. They mainly feed on hay. The rest of the diet is grain mixtures sold at the pet store. Vegetables and fresh grass. Water should always be freely available.
The following herbs are suitable for guinea pigs:
For coarse fibers, animals are given tomatoes, different varieties of cabbage, hay, apples, beets, turnips, dandelions, bran moistened with water, cereals, seeds, potatoes, parsley, broccoli, and lettuce. It is forbidden to feed the animal with stale and expired food, moldy products, immature or rotten fruit or vegetables. At proper care pigs live 8–9 years.
Squirrels
The squirrel is a small forest animal, nimble and easy to climb. It weighs about 25 kg, and its body length reaches 20–28 cm. The tail is the longest part and is equal to a third of the entire body. The rodent needs to be trained immediately after it adapts to new conditions. It is necessary to feed him by hand as often as possible and try to ensure that he makes contact with a person. Squirrels have a short memory and without constant communication they quickly run wild.
Since these are mobile animals, then good option for them there will be a high aviary with a height of at least a meter, and its width and length should be 50 cm. A birdhouse or nest, several branches, shelves and planks are placed in it.
The enclosure should be cleaned once a week. The drinking bowl and feeder are washed once a day. The squirrel must be fed fresh and dried mushrooms, pine nuts, hazelnuts, acorns, beetles and various insects. They are also given spruce or Pine cones with seeds, aspen or willow catkins, young birch leaves. At good content Squirrels can live up to 15 years.
Chipmunks
Chipmunks adapt well to life in captivity. They are easy to care for and not picky about food. The animals do not get along with each other, so they must be kept in an individual cage. It’s easy to tame them: you should constantly give them treats from your hands, they will remember that a person is not dangerous to them, but is a source of food.
Choose a spacious cage for a chipmunk. The bottom is covered with any organic matter. These pets are very clean, so the cage and all its components should be cleaned, washed or changed regularly. The peculiarity of the animals is that they themselves choose a place for the toilet and do not relieve themselves anywhere else.
The chipmunk is fed cereals, sunflower seeds, cereals, and thick porridges. You can give them fruits, berries, sugar, and cookies as treats. Solid food is alternated with soft food. You can also purchase special balanced food for chipmunks.
You are allowed to let the animal roam around the house, observing it. Be sure to close all windows and doors before doing this so that he does not escape. The lifespan of a chipmunk is 10 years.
Degu
Degus are small animals that look like a rat or a jerboa. Other common animal names include Chilean squirrel and the bush rat. It is distinguished by its high activity, but is not the most demanding in terms of content.
Degus love to live in spacious cages. The aviary should have enough space for research. A house and several shelters in the form of burrows are installed inside it (you can use old clay pots for this). The cage should have shelves located on different levels. Be sure to provide bowls, drinking bowls, a bath with sand for bathing, and lay bedding. You also need a running wheel and a strong block for grinding down teeth.
The degu diet includes:
Degus should not be bathed in water, but in sand. To do this, purchase a special bath and pour fine clean sand and 1 tsp into it. talc. Such bathing degreases the coat, which is very important for the health of the animal. In captivity, degus live 6-8 years.
Large rodents
Large pet rodents are also popular.
Many of them are undemanding in maintenance and care.
Chinchillas
Chinchillas are rodents with very soft and beautiful fur. They are distinguished by their cleanliness, timidity, and nocturnal lifestyle. They make high demands on their content. The animal should only be in a cage, since any exit from it is a great stress for the animal.
A chinchilla's home should be spacious and comfortable. The higher it is, the better. Rodents love to jump and climb on bars. The cage must be equipped with at least two shelves. It is also equipped with a drinking bowl, a feeder, a house, a hole, branches and stones, and a stone for pointing teeth.
Chinchillas are herbivores. At home, their diet should consist of dry grass, tree bark, hay, and cereals. It is forbidden to give raw food to animals. Leaves, branches, fruits and berries must be dried.
Once a week the animal is bathed in sand. To do this, you can purchase volcanic dust or special sand for chinchillas. It is prohibited to wet the fur. It takes a long time to dry, which can cause your pet to catch a cold. The lifespan of chinchillas is about 20 years.
Nutria
Nutria resemble beavers in appearance and are usually bred for their fur and meat, but they can also serve as pets. Excluding the tail, these rodents reach a length of 60 cm, and their weight ranges from 5 to 12 kg.
Nutria is a school animal and therefore needs company. She quickly gets used to people and has an affectionate character. When kept at home, animals need a cage with a ratio of at least 80x60x50 cm. It should contain a sleeping place, feeders, and toys. A tray or tray is placed directly under the cage.
Nutria can be given granulated feed; their diet must include fruits and vegetables. Animals like bread crackers, but you should not give them fresh bread. Rodents are prone to obesity, so it is forbidden to feed them baked goods and other food from the table.
The pet needs to be provided with regular water treatments, since in nature nutrias settle near bodies of water. It is better to bathe the animal daily. To do this, you need to pour a full bath of cold water so that the rodent can swim freely in it. At home, nutria can live up to 12 years.
Ferrets
At home they also keep such nimble predators as ferrets (ferrets). The animal's body length can reach 60 cm excluding the tail, and its weight can range from 1 to 2.5 kg.
These rodents are very active, they like to explore secluded places, run and hide. For this reason, they must be closely monitored when walking around the apartment, and put on a leash when outside. Ferrets are curious and playful pets that enjoy spending time with their owners. They can also be stubborn.
The basis of ferret nutrition is meat in the form of boiled and raw chicken, turkey, and offal. They can be given periodically sea fish boneless, lean beef or lamb. About 15% of the diet should consist of porridge, eggs, and cottage cheese. You can give your pet specialized food for ferrets.
Animals should be bathed once every 1-2 weeks. Ferrets live at home for 6-10 years.
Squad of rodents
This is a completely natural and separate group of the animal kingdom*. They bear their name almost with more right than predatory animals do, since one only has to look into their mouth to immediately recognize them as gnawing animals. Two incisors in each of both jaws, transformed into large gnawing teeth, and the absence of fangs are the distinctive and permanent characters of this order.
* The order Rodents is the most “successful” group of the class of mammals. Having emerged in the Paleocene in Asia, rodents formed at least 50 families during the Cenozoic, more than half of which survived to modern times.
ABOUT appearance rodents, in general, do not have to spread much, since the order, very rich in families and species, covers the most diverse types**.
* * Currently, more than 1,700 species live on Earth (almost half of all mammal species).
General signs the following: the body is in most cases cylindrical and rests on low limbs for the most part unequal length, since the hind legs are usually longer than the front ones. The head sits on a short, thick neck, the eyes are large and strongly protruding from the sockets, the lips are fleshy, equipped with mustaches, extremely mobile and forked in front. The front legs usually have four, and the hind legs five, with strong claws, and are sometimes also connected to each other by a swimming membrane. The hair covering the body is almost always of equal length, only in in rare cases elongated at the ends of the ears in the form of tassels or condensed on the tail.
The incisors are significantly larger than the other teeth, the upper ones are always larger than the lower ones***, all four are arched, with a wide pointed or chisel-shaped cutting edge, tri- or tetrahedral at the root, flat or curved, smooth or grooved, white or yellowish, even red.
* * * On the contrary, the lower incisors are larger and longer than the upper ones.
Their outer or front surface is covered with enamel, hard as steel, which also makes up the sharp rims or wide cutting edges of the teeth; the rest of the tooth consists of dental substance. With the constant use of these main teeth, they would have been worn down or worn down, if they had not had the precious advantage over the teeth of all other mammals - to grow throughout life. The tip of the rim is supported constant friction teeth one against the other, facilitating their sharpening; the lower jaw can move not only up and down, but also forward and backward. In this way, the cutters combine everything necessary to best perform the work required of them. Molars, separated from the incisors by a large gap*, have either ordinary or constantly growing roots; their surface is covered with an enamel border or enamel folds, which serve as excellent signs for characterizing species. Their number varies between two and six on each side of the jaws.
* This gap is called "diastema".
The oblong skull is flattened from above, the foramen magnum is located on the posterior plane, the zygomatic arches are almost always closed; the maxillary bones are short, the premaxillary bones are significantly developed, the lower jaw is so firmly set that its lateral movements are almost impossible. The spinal column consists, in addition to the cervical ones, of 12-16 dorsal, 5-7 lumbar, 3-6 sacral, 6-32 caudal vertebrae. Many rodents have inside The mouth has cheek pouches, which sometimes extend to the shoulders and serve as reserve storage areas when collecting food. A special muscle pulls these bags back when they are full. Salivary glands usually very strongly developed. The stomach is simple, but sometimes it is divided into two sections by an interception. The brain indicates an insignificant development of mental abilities; the cerebral hemispheres are small and with very weak convolutions. The sense organs in most cases are evenly developed and quite perfect**.
* * The brain is relatively large, but the surface of the hemispheres is devoid of convolutions. The cerebellum is well developed. Rodents live in a world of smells; they have numerous specific skin glands for applying groin marks. Important role The sense of touch also plays a role. The whiskers of most rodents are very long and thick.
Rodents are distributed throughout all parts of the world and get along in all climates; they are found wherever vegetation exists***.
* * * In fact, only Antarctica. New Zealand, remote Pacific archipelagos and islands of the Arctic and Sub-Antarctic do not have their own rodent fauna (but rodents were introduced to many of them by humans).
* Rodents are an integral and important link food chains in nature, processing a huge amount of plant biomass into a more energetically concentrated and valuable animal biomass product. We must not forget that rodents are a food source huge amount carnivores, and their extermination leads to serious disturbances in the ecological balance. Artificial population reduction mass species control of rodents in a number of areas is sometimes justified for a reason not mentioned by Brehm, namely, the risk of epidemics of dangerous diseases whose pathogens are carried by rodents.
Life of animals. - M.: State Publishing House of Geographical Literature. A. Brem. 1958.
See what “Rodent squad” is in other dictionaries:
Squad Rodents- 11. Squad Rodentia Rodentia The world does not rest on heroes, not on bright, strong personalities! Modest, quiet workers, unnoticed and unheard, work from dawn to dusk, creating the best in the world, and do not count on either reward or... Animals of Russia. Directory
The dental system is the most characteristic feature, according to which animals are united in this order and differ from animals of any other orders. The incisors of rodents, located one on each side of the upper and lower jaw, are very large,... ... Biological encyclopedia Biological encyclopedia Biological encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Rodentia s. Glires) constitute a special order (order) of the class of mammals, containing more than a third of the total number of species of this class. Most characteristic feature G. is their dental system. They never have fangs, in the upper and lower... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
Loading...
