What are rodents. Varieties of rodent pests and signs of their appearance in the summer cottage. The evolutionary path of rodents

Rodents are the most numerous group of animals. They are distributed throughout the planet, with the exception of only Antarctica and a few islands. Representatives of the Rodents squad are unique animals that combine exceptional skills.

Rodents are excellent builders, skilled swimmers and thrifty hosts. Below you will find articles about representatives of the Rodents order, in which you can learn a lot of new and surprising things about these animals.

The common beaver is a hardworking builder. Description and photo of the common beaver

The common beaver is a large semi-aquatic animal, a representative of the rodent order. The common beaver is also called the river beaver. The beast impresses with its skills: it is an experienced builder, an excellent owner and exemplary family man. The common beaver is the second largest rodent in the world. In this article you will find a description and photo of the common beaver, learn a lot of new and interesting things about these rodents.

The capybara is the largest rodent. Description and photo of the animal capybara

Capybara, or as it is also called, the capybara is a semi-aquatic animal that is a representative of the rodent order. This is a very unusual animal and many will be interested to get to know him. The capybara is the largest rodent. Below you will find a description and photo of the capybara animal, as well as learn a lot of new things about it.

Many families with children prefer small pets. In this article, we will consider what kind of pets they prefer to have in apartments. Did you know that the three-toed jerboa - on the ground. Its weight is only 3 grams. Due to their small size, rodents are often chosen for home content. What other types of small rodents are there, read below in this article!

The smallest domestic rodents: care features

The order of rodents includes many species:

hamsters

gerbils

rats

mice

chinchillas

jerboas

decorative rabbits

Guinea pigs

chipmunks

marmots.

The world of rodents is diverse: animals differ in size, species, habitat. Many members of the detachment are domesticated.

Hamsters contact and playful. Popular Djungarian hamster- the smallest representative of his family. Dwarf hamsters have developed social skills. Some individuals are aggressive towards humans, they can bite if mistreated.
Hamster

gerbils- small rodents, whose body sizes reach 10-12 cm. They differ from mice in that they have a fluffy tail. Animals are assets, for this reason there should be a pet wheel in the cage. The optimal size of the dwelling for a gerbil to feel comfortable is 30x30x60 cm. Gerbils live up to 3 years, with good maintenance they can live 4 years. The body reaches a length of 10-11 cm. Gerbils are collective animals, it is recommended to keep them in companies. Better if they are single.

They live 2.5 - 3 years, some individuals live up to 4 years. The body size of an adult rat is 20 cm. Distinctive feature rodents - a long tail devoid of hair. Rats are sociable animals. It is recommended to take a pair of the same sex. Small rodents make contact with a person; with due attention, they can become devoted friends. The rat cage should be spacious (minimum 30 x 90 cm). Pets should be let out of the cage for a walk.

They are the smallest representatives of rodents. The body length is about 8 cm. Mice are white in color, there are individuals with colored fur. The animals should be kept separately so that they do not breed. It is necessary to take same-sex animals, preferably females, since males behave aggressively, sometimes they fight.

Chinchillas attract buyers with expensive, thick fur, pleasant to the touch. An adult individual reaches a length of 30-35 cm, its weight ranges from 400 to 700 grams. Chinchillas live longer than other rodents, life expectancy is 20 years. Short-tailed and long-tailed chinchillas are kept as pets. Both species are distinguished by a beautiful gray-blue coat color.

Lifespan guinea pigs is 6-7 years, sometimes 10 years. Rodents are calm in nature, rarely bite, they are in demand in families with children. The basis of the diet of guinea pigs is fresh hay. The pet's diet should include vegetables containing vitamin C. They are affectionate, sociable, able to become devoted friends.

jerboas difficult to content. Even the most little rodent requires special care. For dwarf breeds, an aquarium filled with gravel or sand is suitable as a home. The conditions of detention should be close to natural. It is recommended to put a cardboard house in the aquarium, where the animal can hide. Jerboas are friendly, non-aggressive animals. They should be kept in groups of similar sizes. The most difficult to keep are crested jerboas. They do not tolerate temperature extremes, humidity. Representatives of this breed survive the worst in captivity.

Rodents have their own habits, character, needs for social interaction. Most members of the detachment prefer to lead night image life, which should be considered when purchasing a rodent as a pet.

Surprisingly, almost half of the species of living mammals are rodents. In quantitative terms, rodents are by far the most successful. These toothy animals have spread all over the globe. In terms of the total number of individuals, rodents have superiority over all other mammals.

This is partly explained high speed reproduction characteristic of small animals: in a house mouse, puberty occurs at the age of 5 weeks and during the year it can bring more than 50 mice. In addition, rodents were able to perfectly adapt to different conditions a habitat. Squirrels get fat begging in the parks. House mice and rats take advantage of humans growing crops and stockpiling food. Muskrats and nutria feel great in irrigation canals and artificial reservoirs.

What do rodents eat

Most rodents are herbivorous, but some species also consume other foods. Agoutis eat fruits, grass, and shellfish. Muskrats periodically eat fish, crayfish and freshwater shellfish. The golden-bellied beaver rat feeds almost exclusively on animal food - snails, fish, molluscs, frogs, and even waterfowl.

Mice eat what people intend for themselves. These are cheese, bread, lard and much more. But in nature, the diet of most species of mice consists of seeds, fruits, plant shoots and insects. Grasshopper hamsters living in North America pretty good at hunting scorpions and even other rodents.

In the distant past, some rodents were very large. One of the extinct species of North American beaver was the size of a small baribal bear. South America boasted a rodent that, judging by the bones, was no smaller than a wild boar, with a head like a bull. The largest among modern rodents is the South American capybara, whose weight is more than 45 kg, and the length from the tip of the muzzle to the base of the barely noticeable tail is 1.2 m. Beavers reach a length of 90 cm (without a tail) and weigh almost 35 kg. Porcupines and muskrats are slightly smaller. However, most modern rodents, including mice, are small. A small animal requires less food than a large one and is more likely to survive in conditions of food shortage. A small animal is an easy prey for predators, but it can easily hide. Large animals reach sexual maturity late and give birth to relatively few young. Small ones ripen early and for their short life produce numerous offspring.

Rodent teeth

A distinctive feature of rodents is that their protruding chisel-like incisors grow throughout their lives. Latin name of this animal species Rodentia means "those who gnaw". Rodents gnaw for two reasons: firstly, to eat, and secondly, to prevent the incisors from growing too much. If the teeth do not wear out, they will eventually sink into the opposite jaw. Rodent teeth are very strong. Rats and mice can even gnaw through concrete.

However, not every animal with chisel-shaped incisors can be attributed to the order of rodents. Many mouse-like animals, such as shrews and moles, are also not rodents. They have a completely different system of teeth, and they eat exclusively animal food. Rodents, as a rule, eat plant foods.

Rodent voice

The squirrel chirps in a high voice, the mouse squeaks, the porcupine grunts when it meets an enemy, and in other cases grunts. The capybara also grunts like a pig, and when pleased, it clicks softly. Tuko-tuko living in South America, digging a hole, makes sounds similar to its name.

Other rodents communicate using different sounds. prairie dogs announce danger with a shrill bark. The grizzled marmot found in the north rocky mountains, emits a whistle that can be heard for 1.5 km. Some rodents gnash their teeth loudly in irritation. The shaggy hamster from East Africa begins to grind its teeth, even if you just look at it. And the already mentioned grasshopper hamsters sometimes stand up on their hind legs and howl like miniature wolves. Reed rats, going out at night in search of food, continuously emit a metallic "bang" sound.

Rodents are usually associated with rats and mice. Their bare tails, clawed feet, and long snouts with protruding teeth are often extremely unpleasant. But nature has created much more species rodents. Many of them are pretty good. Let's find out what rodents exist and how they differ from other animals.

Who 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 in every possible way from each other 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 hallmark is the diastema - the gap (in place of the fangs) between the incisors and the rest of the teeth.

Animals inhabit steppes and forests, mountainous regions, river valleys and deserts. They can lead an underground and semi-aquatic lifestyle, and some have even mastered airspaces (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 traits. Now mankind knows about 2277 of their varieties. Burrowing and underground-dwelling species have a rounded, valky 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, on average, range from 5-6 to 50 centimeters. Among the smallest rodents are the Balochistan jerboa, the northern dwarf hamster, and the baby manytooth. Their sizes start from 3-3.5 cm.

Large rodents are porcupines, beavers, reed rats, bristly rats, hutia with sizes of 50-100 cm. The capybara is considered the largest representative of the order. In length, the animal reaches from 1 to 1.3 meters, and in height - 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 susceptibility to the plague was a real disaster for the inhabitants of medieval cities.

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

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

Individual members of the detachment conquered us with their appearance so much that we decided to give them shelter. 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. The 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 of it, only the Asian or Siberian chipmunk lives. Distributed from the 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 hair. On the back, black stripes alternate with gray or white. The tail of the 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 a person. They are excellent tree climbers, which often saves them from terrestrial predators and helps them look for food. But they build 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 only active during the day. For the winter, animals hibernate, curled up in a ball. In cold and rainy weather in summer, they also wait in holes, eating the stocks they have made.

Mice and rats

Mice or Mouse - 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.

They 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 man even to remote islands.

Mice have smoother, rounder features and larger ears. In rats, on the contrary, the ears are small, the silhouette is elongated, and the muzzle is pointed. They are larger and more aggressive than their counterparts. Mice are very timid and try to avoid unnecessary meetings, rats do not always run away and are able to attack the enemy.

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

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

Prairie and Chinese dog

A rodent that deserves a separate story. A few years ago, he literally amazed Russian gardeners. A new animal suddenly appeared on agricultural land and cottages, rapidly destroying the crop. Completely unaware of its origin, 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, cereal and vegetable crops nearby. water vole considered one of major pests economy.

She used to live in the region of Siberia, Kazakhstan, the Lower Volga region and North Caucasus. But the rodent received such a violent reaction and a new name relatively recently. By the way, among the rodents there are other dogs - meadow dogs. They belong to the squirrel family and live in North America. Prefer dry terrain with low shrubs.

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 body up and pressing their front paws to their chest. They have light gray-brown fur. The tail is white in all except black-tailed 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 a mouse, but more rounded and blunt. The ears of the animal are long and pointed, sometimes with fur tassels.

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

giant squirrels - the largest representatives kind. They are almost twice as large as 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, as they spend most of their lives in trees. They descend only to search for food and water, and also to hide what they have found under a layer of foliage. They eat both plant and animal food. 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 northern regions Eurasia from the Scandinavian Peninsula to Chukotka, preferring deciduous and mixed forests. Outwardly, they look like common squirrels, except for some special features.

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

They are hunted by owls, martens, sables and other predators. Flying squirrels themselves eat vegetable food(kidneys, mushrooms, berries), as well as eggs of birds and small chicks. They do not hibernate, but remain indoors during cold weather. Rodents build houses in hollows of trees on high altitude. When a hollow is found, the squirrel puts moss, leaves, 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 for 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 Palearctic biogeographic region. It inhabits deserts, semi-deserts, can live in the steppes, some forest-steppes and mountains. The jerboa is found in the south of Siberia, in Kazakhstan, North Africa, China, Western Asia, Mongolia.

The harsh living conditions affected the way of life, and most importantly, the appearance of the rodent. The animal has developed hind legs, which are four times longer than the front legs and twice the size of the body. The jerboa moves in jumps up to three meters long and can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h. When moving slowly, he goes to four paws.

The body of a rodent reaches from 4 to 25 centimeters. It is covered with thick brown or yellowish wool, similar in color to sand. Animals have large heads, short necks, big eyes And long ears. The long-eared jerboa can boast of the largest "locators". The tail is usually longer than the body, at the end it is equipped with a fluffy tassel. It is necessary for balance and turns during jumps.

Jerboas are nocturnal, escaping from the heat in a hole. They are building Various types nor. Some serve as a temporary shelter from the sun, others - for shelter from a sudden attack of predators, in the third 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 originate from South America, namely the Andean 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 hanging ears.

Living in the wild, guinea pigs have thick fur that is light brown or grayish in color. decorative types vary greatly in color and coat length. Rodents are peaceful and good-natured, easily tamed by humans. The Indians were the first to do this, who bred them for meat and religious rituals. They were shown to the rest of the world by European traders, and the animals were called "marine", that is, overseas.

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

Maru is also called the Patagonian hare. It grows up to 80 cm and really looks like an oblique. The animal runs well, 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 are more like a small ungulate than a rodent. These are heavy animals with a blunt snout, small rounded ears and an elongated body. They swim and dive well, lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle.

beavers

Capybaras, although very large, are found only in the 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, not too expressive.

For swimming, the paws are equipped with membranes. During the dive, the ears and nostrils close tightly, and the eyes become covered with nictitating membranes. The tail is paddle-shaped - flat and widens towards the end. He serves as the helm. In danger, the rodent strongly knocks them on the water, scaring off 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 houseboat 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 simplifies the process of finding food. In construction, beavers have no equal. The dams are equipped with rodent passages and a water drainage system. Their shape is different, depending on the nature of the current in the reservoir. Dams sometimes reach several hundred meters, one of the largest (850 meters) was found in the Canadian park Wood Buffalo.

Beavers feed exclusively on plants. They prefer bark, herbs, acorns. 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 stocks prepared in the fall.

Porcupines

Porcupines are the third largest rodent, reaching between 40 and 90 cm. Evolution has turned some of its fur into spines. Thanks to this, the fat and overweight porcupine has become practically inaccessible to predators. His 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 with needles, he first warns the enemy, and then attacks him, advancing on him with his back. Courage plays tricks on him when the animal tries to attack fast moving cars.

The porcupine lives in the foothills and deserts. It is distributed in India, the Middle East, Asia Minor, Italy, the Transcaucasus and the Arabian Peninsula. He equips housing in small caves and rock openings or in burrows, if the ground allows them to be dug. The house of a rodent can be up to 4 meters deep and up to 10 meters long. The animal often settles next to a person, eating crops from fields and gardens.

The rodent is nocturnal. He does not hibernate, but in cold weather his activity is greatly reduced. It feeds on tree bark, plant tubers, watermelons, pumpkins, grapes, and even cucumbers. Occasionally can 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.

At least once in a lifetime, every person caught himself thinking about the need to start pet. However, the lack of space or time often causes the purchase of a cat or dog to be postponed indefinitely. For those who have little free time and a fear of mess, buying a pet rodent is a great way out.

Popular domestic rodents

Domestic rodents are very popular pets, especially with children. However, before buying an animal, you need to weigh all the pros and cons of each animal and choose the perfect little friend for yourself.

Hamsters are perhaps the most popular domestic rodents, and this is not strange, because they are extremely unpretentious cute animals. These rodents are of two types: ordinary (large) and dwarf. The color of the animal depends on its breed and habitat and varies from gray to brown tones. It is customary to start hamsters one at a time, because this is how they live in wild nature, and therefore a companion will always be perceived as a competitor, even if they are of different sexes.

Important! The hamster will not immediately become a tame animal. However, his trust is very easy to get thanks to the goodies that must be given from hand to paw.

Guinea pigs are also quite common as a pet. A cute large rodent has many colors and most often several colors are combined on the fur coat of the animal in the form of shapeless spots.

Pigs are very sociable animals that are always glad to their owner and willingly show him their feelings. They say that if something happened to the owner, the little friend knows how to sympathize. And to make a pet happy in return is quite simple: pigs do not tolerate loneliness, so it is better to buy a pair at once, and in order to avoid the appearance of unwanted offspring - a same-sex one.
It is important to remember that this animal is very emotional and with any sharp sound or severe stress, the heart of a pig can literally burst.

Decorative rabbits have been very popular since the last century. It is a domesticated relative of the wild European rabbit.

Did you know?The spiny mice, which live in the Middle East and Africa, have unique regeneration abilities for mammals: in case of danger, they shed their skin, which then grows back along with their hair.

Long ears, a cute muzzle and a variety of colors depending on the breed will not leave anyone indifferent. The owners of these animals will literally melt with emotion when dealing with rabbits, because the nature of this animal is very friendly and almost never aggressive.

Best of all, rabbits live alone, but if there is a desire to have offspring, then it is better to keep the female and male separately from each other.
Oddly enough, rabbits are very devoted animals, but for this the owner needs to be given to the beast a large number of time and endlessly stroke, and treat your pet. If desired, these animals can be trained, but this must be done in the form of a game.

Chinchillas have become popular relatively recently. These incredible animals are originally from America, but, unfortunately, in many countries they are bred for commercial purposes - fur coats are sewn from their fur. But many people get this animal as a pet and often buy them a pair or more, because these rodents are incredibly cute, friendly and watching them play is a real pleasure.

Chinchillas come in several colors: the most popular are gray and black representatives, the more rare ones are white and beige. The nature of this rodent depends on whether he was born in a family or on a farm, because a beast that communicates with people from childhood will be open and curious, while one that lived only among fellows will be quiet and secretive.

Important!Chinchillas really dislike being squeezed against their will. If the animal wants affection, he will easily let you know about it, and if you forcefully try to keep him, you can get a well-aimed stream of urine (the animal expresses its displeasure with this).

Chipmunks are a rarity in pet stores in Russia and Ukraine, but with a strong desire, you can buy them on special farms. These babies are very similar to squirrels, however, there are five characteristic black stripes on their back, thanks to which it is simply impossible to confuse a chipmunk with any other rodent.

Chipmunks are very sociable, active pets, often not afraid of a person if he behaves quietly, neatly and without sudden movements. Taming a baby is quite simple: you need to constantly give him a treat and always from your hands, then he will remember that a person does not pose a threat to him, but, on the contrary, is a source of food.

You need to be prepared for the fact that chipmunks love to stock up, and therefore, even after having a hearty lunch, this sly one will beg for more nuts and other goodies.

Many do not like rats, because they think that these animals carry dirt and dangerous infections. So it is, but this does not apply to decorative (domestic) rats. These animals are extremely clean and tidy, they know where their home is, and they can even follow many commands. Rats are animals that differ in intelligence and ingenuity. They know their nickname, they easily remember the command “come to me” or “no”.

The colors of these animals are many, but the most popular are albino rats (white with red eyes).

Important! A serious drawback of this pet is its rather short life span - 2-3 years.

The Chilean degu squirrel is a representative of South American rodents. Appearance This animal combines several of its counterparts: squirrel, chinchilla and jerboa. The color of the coat is usually dark or light brown, less often gray.
These squirrels are very popular as pets because they are extremely friendly., quickly become attached to a person and become his real friends. With the right upbringing, degus can be trained.

It is better to start degus in pairs, because in the wild they live in families. The ideal option there will be a purchase of two to five individuals.

The gerbil is a small rodent with a long, hairy tail. The color of this animal is very diverse: from light to dark tones of brown. This animal is very active and inquisitive, and caring for it will not be difficult.

Gerbils in the wild move quickly so as not to become the prey of snakes, and therefore, if you want to release the baby, you need to prepare the room well (hide all objects that can be gnawed and close all the cracks).

Did you know? Many species of mice lack clavicles, so the animals can crawl into rather narrow places.

Features of caring for domestic rodents

Despite the fact that rodents are one of the most unpretentious animals, each animal has certain needs and features in care that must be taken into account.

Climatic conditions

People used to think that room temperature is optimal for all animals, and they feel comfortable in it, but this is not entirely true. Most domestic rodents love warmth. Hamsters and mice will feel great in a room with a temperature of 24 ... 25 degrees. But guinea pigs need a stable 20 ... 22 degrees, otherwise they will often get sick.

Rabbits and chinchillas are relatively unpretentious, any temperature in the apartment is suitable for them, but drafts are highly undesirable for these pets. The chipmunk, being a tropical rodent, loves warmth and also cannot stand drafts.

housing requirements

Rodents can be conditionally divided into terrestrial and those who jump on trees. Depending on this, you need to equip your pet with a house.

Hamsters, guinea pigs and gerbils do not require special conditions. A small metal cage is suitable for them, but it is desirable that it has a couple of floors (the beast cannot sit in one place). You also need to buy a wooden house (or make it out of cardboard) and a wheel in which the fluffy can warm up.
Rabbits can live in small enclosures, but they must be given time when they can walk around the room. Locked up, this animal will quickly wither away.

Chinchillas and squirrels are skilled jumpers. They need tall cages with wooden shelves at different heights that they can jump back and forth on. A high cage with a house and a wheel is also suitable for a chipmunk.

Important! Since all these animals are not in vain called rodents, it is important that the walls of the dwelling are not made of painted or chemically treated material, since the animal can simply get poisoned and die.

Nutrition

Most rodents can do just fine with the food that is sold at the pet store, because it is balanced and contains all the microelements necessary for health and life. However, kids need to be pampered with something. For example, raw carrots and dry apples will not harm the pet, but cabbage should be discarded. Dried fruits are suitable for both large rodents and small ones (except for raisins).

Also, various nuts (peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews) will be an excellent delicacy (especially for squirrels and chipmunks). The main thing is that the nuts should be raw, in no case fried. Chocolate is contraindicated for all rodents, especially those who hide food in their bosoms.

Rodent in the house: is it worth getting a pet

If a child asks for a pet, and a cat or dog is too troublesome a friend, a rodent is a great alternative.

Advantages

Among positive sides keeping rodents at home can be noted:

1. The main advantage of rodents is their hypoallergenicity, because most of them do not cause allergies at all. For example, chinchilla is one of the few animals that sheds, but wool does not cause allergic reactions even in the most severe allergies.
2. The rodent takes up little space and does not require round-the-clock care.
3. All animals choose a place for themselves "under the toilet" and do not crap anywhere.
4. Pets will quickly become tame if you give them as much free time as possible for the first few days.
5. Watching these adorable kids play is a pleasure.

Did you know? The largest rodent in the world is the capybara. Its weight can reach 91 kilograms.

Flaws

There are bad moments too:

1. The main disadvantage of the rodent is its natural reflex to gnaw everything. When releasing a pet, you need to make sure that wires and other important items are not available to him.
2. Not all inhabitants of cells can boast of high intelligence.
3. These mammals have a very short life.