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Rats and Mice: The Most Common Rodents!
After reading this sentence, close your eyes and think of the word "rodent", then think of the first rodent that comes to mind. It's a mouse or rat, right? Of course it is!
Rats and mice are perhaps the most common rodents other than lemmings (yes, I mean those cute lil' fuzzballs running off cliffs as I write!)
Another theory about rats and mice (cue the Despereaux theme song!) is that rats eat their small cousins, mice. Actually, that only happens during a time that the rat cannot find other food sources but the mouse. So read and discover the world of these fascinating creatures.
Rats and Mice Table of Contents
- Rodent Pets
- A Family of Rodents
- Common Rodent Facts
- Quiz: What are Rodents?
- Mice
- Add to the List of Rodents...
- Caring for your pet rodents.
- Study a Rodent Up Close
- Mice and Rat Finger Puppets
- Hamtaro
- Redwall Books
- Rodent Pictures
- An Old Rat's Tale
- Who is blogging about mice?
- Antique Mouse Toys
- Experts on Rodents
- Healthy, Healthy Mice
- Tell us how you react when you see a mouse or a rat.
- Meet the Author of this lens
Rodent Pets
Pet Rodents
I never thought I cared much for rodents until we started looking for the perfect pet for our children. Never a dog person, I chose a cat but soon found that the children needed so much of my attention that a cat became a burden.
Then we got a hamster. She was cuddly, soft and somewhat cat like but left no fur on the couch, could be left for a couple of days if necessary and was incredibly entertaining.
A Family of Rodents
Who are rodents and who are not?
By the way, the Rodentia does not include rabbits; because rabbits have an extra pair of incisors and in other skeletal features. Rabbits, hares, and a few other species make up the Lagomorpha.
Shrews, moles and hedgehogs are also not rodents; they are classified in the Insectivora because they eat insects.
Common Rodent Facts
What do you knkow about Rodents?
Mice are notorious nibblers, eating many types of food, but preferring seeds and grain.
A single mouse eats only about 3 grams of food per day (8 pounds per year), but because of their habit of nibbling on many foods and discarding partially eaten items, the amount of food contaminated is about ten times greater.Mice can get by with little or no free water, obtaining their water needs from the food they eat.
House mice are mainly nocturnal although daytime activity may be seen.
Nests are constructed of fibrous materials and generally have the appearance of a "ball" of material loosely woven together. Nests are usually 4 to 6 inches in diameter and can be found in any sheltered location.
Mice are sexually mature as early as 6 to 10 weeks old and may breed year-round. In perfect conditions, a nest of mice produce 2,500 heirs in a six-month period.
A mouse rarely travels more than 10 to 30 feet from it's nest to obtain food and water.
Under the same perfect conditions that same nest of mice can deposit 18,000 droppings.
They travel around perimeters rather than across empty spaces. Because of the keenly developed sense of touch in their vibrissae (whiskers) and in specialized hairs along the body, rats prefer continual body contact with at least one vertical surface such as a fence or wall.They are not afraid of new objects in their environment and are curious to "check things out". This behavior makes trapping easier, especially when traps are placed along walls where mice are most likely to establish pathways.
Quiz: What are Rodents?
Are you up for the rodent's challenge?
Read the information on this page. When you finish, take the "Rodent? Quiz" just for fun!
- "What is a Rodent?" Activity Page
- There are more species of rodents than of any other animal group the world. Nearly 40 percent of all mammal species are rodents, making them among the most successful animals on earth.
Rodents have many special features. All rodents have one pair of upper and lower chisel-shaped incisor teeth that are covered with hard enamel on the front and a softer substance like bone on the back. As the rodent gnaws, the backs of the chisel-shaped teeth wear away faster to maintain a sharp edge. The incisors grow all of the time or continuously. If the rodent does not keep gnawing, the front incisors will grow right out of its mouth and prevent it from eating.
Gnawing is not chewing. Gnawing means that the rodent nips off, or shaves off, layers of food or hard wood. When the food is inside its mouth, it chews the food into shreds. It does this with flatter teeth called molars, before swallowing the food. Some rodents have molars that grow all of the time much like the front teeth. Still others have powerful jaw muscles that let them chew in a special circular way that shreds hard fibrous foods better.
Most rodents, but not all, have four toes on the front feet and five toes on the back feet. Most rodents are nocturnal (awake at night).
Rodents, as a group, are very active and must eat a large amount of food. During the winter when food is scarce, some rodents hibernate. Others store food and wake from a deep sleep to eat from time to time. Small members of the rodent family give birth to many young. Rodents have lots of natural predators.
Mice
Mice are the most recoginized rodents.
In My Secret Garden
Art Print
St. Clair, Mary...
Buy at AllPosters.com
Everyone needs a few mice around. Toy mice are fun to play with and spark children's imaginations. When my children were younger I always kept a few in my pocket book or in their coat pockets for times that we were out and the children needed to quietly keep busy. T
They would pull out their mice in the car, on the bus or in a train, start to show them the sights and soon there would be a whole story going on.
When we got home there would be a new story to write down. We have these stories lovingly stored on the book shelf and occasionally put them out to reread and remember the adventures of the Family of Mice in the Pocket.
I like to turn them into the characters in the Redwall Series.
Add to the List of Rodents...
What other kinds of Rodents do you know?
Woodmice are only one kind of rodent. Help White Foot make a list of all his cousins.
Do you know of any rodents I missed? Just add them to the list.
Books about Mice, Rats and other Rodents
Caring for your pet rodents.
Not all rodents have the same needs.
I like to have at least one member of the rodent family in the classroom. We set up a schedule with parents and children to come in on weekends to care for them. Animals usually go home on long weekends and vacations.
You may find that children in older classes or in high school are happy to help out as well.
Featured Rodent Lenses
Learn more about Rodents and their care by visiting these great lenses.-
Woodchucks Under the Porch
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Woodchucks chuck wood and Groundhogs determine the coming of spring. They eat your garden, dig holes under the porch but look adorable when they are first born and start to venture out of their dens. Watching the woodchuck babies venturing out from...
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Rodents R Us! Headquarters
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Rodents R Us! Hiyas! I'm up with rodent lenses! It's helpful for teachers and such! Rodent related lenses whether rodent pets or wild rodent friends, all are welcome.
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All in One Guide to Pet Rats
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Surprisingly or not, rats really do make great pets. They're clean, social, friendly, intelligent, and just plain cute. Unlike most small animal pets, rats are least likely to bite. Where it takes time to socialize a hamster, gerbil, mouse, guinea pi...
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The Redwall Series!
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Brian Jacques definitely started an exciting series when he published his first book, "Redwall". The book was a great tale of a horde of rats attacking a large abbey for animals, and a young mouse's rise to Warrior of Redwall Abbey (see bel...
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Whitefoot the Wood Mouse: A Mouse Unit Study
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Whitefoot welcomes homeschoolers, teachers, parents and children to turn into mice, scurry through the tunnels and sniff out learning opportunities in every corner. Whitefoot the Wood Mouse welcomes everyone to his nest where learning never ends. He...
Study a Rodent Up Close
Havahart Traps are a safe way to observe wild rodents up close.
Havahart traps are the ideal way to capture and observe wild mice, rats, chipmunks and squirrels.
My daughter discovered this last summer when the chipmunks decided that our kitchen was a free restaurant.
We put all the food in glass jars and then set out the Havahart trap.
As we caught each one we observed it for about 20 minutes, writing down everything that we noticed.
Soon she was able to distinguish each individual.
Havahart 1020 Two Door Cage Trap for Mice and Rats 10 x 3 x 3
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 11/08/2009) 
Mice and Rat Finger Puppets
These little finger puppets are great for pretending to be in Redwall or for any other Rat and Mice play. They make great stocking stuffers and can be carried in a pocket book to keep kids amused on trips to the doctor or dentist.
![Mini Squirrel Finger Puppet by Folkmanis [Toy]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/318KW0BX0AL._SL75_.jpg)
Hamtaro
After quite a few adventures and lots of mischief, Hamtaro one day discovers a tunnel to the outside, and meets Oxnard and Boss, who help him form the Ham-hams, a helpful band of justice-serving hamsters. And even more adventures are yet to come!
Redwall Books
Rodent Pictures
ROCK SQUIRREL
IRRIDB0116DSC_0309
IRRIDB0116DSC_0343
Anne im Sicherheitsg...
Anne
IRRIDB0116DSC_0343
IRRIDB01161Rat_09
UINTA GROUND SQUIRRE...
RED SQUIRREL
UINTA? CHIPMUNK
Redwall Abbey
|\_/|
(^.^))
(> <)) Squirrely!
- Welcome to Redwall Abbey
- Hello Friend...
Welcome to Redwall Abbey.
Come in and meet Father Abbot. - Snowfur's Redwall Encyclopedia
- A website containing games and other redwall trinkets, plus the famous Mossflower Talk!
- The DAB
- Seen in Brian Jacques's Triss, the DAB (Dibbuns Against Bedtime) is a society of baby creatures formed against the adult rules.
Play and interact with others online, and earn candied chestnuts, which can be spent and eaten ^^!
Redwall on Del.icio.us
An Old Rat's Tale
by Laura E. Richards
He was a rat, and she was a rat,
And down in one hole they did dwell.
And each was as black as your Sunday hat,
And they loved one another well.
He had a tail, and she had a tail,
Both long and curling and fine.
And each said, "My love's tail is the finest tail
In the world, excepting mine!"
He smelt the cheese, and she smelt the cheese,
And they both pronounced it good;
And both remarked it would greatly add
To the charm of their daily food.
So he ventured out and she ventured out;
And I saw them go with pain.
But what them befell I never can tell,
For they never came back again.
Who is blogging about mice?
- A Matter of Memories: Scrapbooking, Photography and More!
- Just a couple recent pics...love the color of this brick wall! Posted by Jill Marie Paulson at 7:48 PM. Labels: photography. :PHOTOS: Red wall alley... SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend. :PHOTOS: Red wall alley... 2009-11-03T19:48:00-06:00 ...
- micaela-redwall on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
- this wall is so compelling and delicious. honestly. who needs PS when you have film? quicker result.
- Red Wall « Tam's Think Tank
- Red Wall. October 27, 2009 tokenhippygirl Leave a comment Go to comments. Red Wall Originally uploaded by Tokenhippygirl. Our construction left us with a new wall in our bedroom. We decided to paint the new wall a burgundy-ish color. ...
Learn more about Rats and Mice and their Relatives
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Hamtaro and the Hamhams
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Hamtaro is an adventurous and curious hamster who belongs to a girl named Laura (named Amy in the original books), and who secretly leads a society of hamsters called the Ham-hams. While he rescues hamsters in trouble and goes on huge adventures, he...
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River Otters: Playful Friends of the Woodlands!
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Learn about River Otters through games and hands-on learning centers. Decorate your classroom with a Woodlands Riverbank Theme. Learn the habits of River Otters, the food they eat and how they raise their young. You will find suggestions for both fi...
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Lemmings: Falling into the Sea of Knowledge
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When the winds start to howl and the snow begins to blow you can capture your student's attention with this innovative Arctic Unit Study focusing on lemmings. Your little lemmings will be excited to learn with a theme that includes little furry crea...
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Creatures of the Woodlands
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Winter is coming on! The little Woodland Creatures are looking for winter dens, storing up food and preparing for the long winter ahead. The Thornton Burgess Books, such as Old Mother Westwind, are just full of charming woodland creatures that bring t...
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Whitefoot the Wood Mouse: A Mouse Unit Study
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Whitefoot welcomes homeschoolers, teachers, parents and children to turn into mice, scurry through the tunnels and sniff out learning opportunities in every corner. Whitefoot the Wood Mouse welcomes everyone to his nest where learning never ends. He...
Antique Mouse Toys
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Experts on Rodents
Lily has written a wonder All in One Guide to Pet Rats. Her love and caring for rodents shines through her lens.
All rodents are fascinating to watch at a distance but ask a vet before adopting a pet rodent.
Healthy, Healthy Mice
Who says all mice eat is cheese?
Mice are healthy animals that eat mostly vegtables and fruit. Why not follow in their pawsteps and eat Healthy Food?-
Healthy College Food
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Ok, so you got the acceptance letter, you called your new roommate and now what? It's time to look into the food situation. Sure your parents paid for the room and board. That means that you won't starve but do you really want to eat that junk? Eati...
Lenses that Love Rodents
Rodents R Us! Headquarters
Rodents R Us!Hiyas! I'm up with rodent lenses! It' more...1 point
The Redwall Series!
Brian Jacques definitely started an exciting serie more...1 point
River Otters: Playful Friends of the Woodlands!
Learn about River Otters through games and hands-o more...1 point
Woodchucks: How much learning could a Woodchuck teach if a Woodchuck could teach school?
Don't just hibernate, pop your head up and find ou more...1 point
Stuart Little (1999)
Directed by Rob Minkoff. With Michael J. Fox, Geen more...1 point
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Tell us how you react when you see a mouse or a rat.
JaguarJulie wrote...
You know it is interesting that as a plush stuffed animal the rat or rodent looks so adorable, but I wouldn't want to come up close and personal with one in my home! ;)
Posted May 06, 2009
groovyoldlady wrote...
I <3 rodents! We've had mice and rats and various hamsters and gerbils. We loved them all, though the rats were our faves. Right now we have 2 sweet, adorable Chinese dwarf hamsters. They are wonderful pets.
I ,# rodents, as long as they don't live in my walls!
Posted January 19, 2009
The_Homeopath wrote...
The Redwall series is excellent! My family enjoys them very much. I still wonder, though, why the universe created a pest that's so darn cute? Mice are a big problem here, they like the barn, but oh those little eyes just kill me.
Posted October 19, 2008
ElizabethJeanAllen wrote...
I can deal with the mice, but the rats scare me to death!
Great lens
Lizzy
Posted October 05, 2008
zazaodh wrote...
Awesome lens. Informative yet friendly and cute, I especially love the third picutre, it's so adorable :-)
And thank you for the kind comments on my lenses Evelyn!
Posted October 05, 2008
sellingnicestuff wrote...
Love this lens..partly because I love Stuart Little, and had two pet rats as a child. Don't want the little wild ones running around my home!
Posted September 02, 2008
Becca_Sanz wrote...
Your lens is very informative. Staying healthy is very important. I hope you will support movement to promote Healthy Food on college campuses.
Posted April 26, 2008
Melodi Rayl wrote
I LOVE all rodents, but most especially pet rats. I had pet rats for almost 10 years, but finally had to give them up - I just couldn't handle their short life spans anymore. But they were the most intelligent, sweet, funny, loving pets!! They can have the intelligence of a 2 1/2 year old child. They're very clean. They pooped in their litter box and knew words (their individual names, 'treat,' 'home' (cage), etc. If you can buy them from a good breeder, they will be so socialized, and will come to you all the time. I LOVE rats!
Posted April 12, 2008
CreativeArtist wrote...
Nice lens. It's nice to read something positive about rats and mice. Thanks for the invite for Rodents R Us. The link didn't work for some reason but I found it anyhow. Blessings.
Posted April 11, 2008
Evelyn_Saenz wrote...
What a great lens!
The Rats and Mice came over to check out your fantastic lens and to leave you a virtual Cup of Coffee to hang on your wall.
Posted March 22, 2008
KimGiancaterino wrote...
We coexist nicely with our neighborhood rodent friends. I had pet rats as a kid and have always liked the little critters (except for the one who feasted on my new washing machine hoses and cost $500 in repairs*?!) Nice lens!
Posted March 01, 2008
Meet the Author of this lens
Evelyn's Hands-On Learning Blog.Find out what I'm up to when I'm not holding hamsters:
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Evelyn Saenz: Lensography of a Teacher
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My passion is teaching and finding ways to teach children in fun, hands-on, creative ways. The unit studies I make on Squidoo reflect my view that learning should be integrated and no skills should be taught in isolation. I believe that each topic s...
by Evelyn_Saenz
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