A small rodent. Rodents

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

The smallest pet rodents: care features

The rodent order 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, and habitat. Many representatives of the order are domesticated.

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

Gerbils- small rodents whose body sizes reach 10-12 cm. They differ from mice in that they have a fluffy tail. Animals are active, for this reason there should be a pet wheel in the cage. Optimal size The size of the home for the gerbil to feel comfortable is 30x30x60 cm. Gerbils live up to 3 years, and 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 groups. It would be better if they were same-sex.

They live 2.5 - 3 years, some individuals live up to 4 years. The body size of an adult rat is 20 cm. A distinctive feature of rodents is a long tail devoid of hair. Rats are sociable animals. It is recommended to take a couple of the same gender. Small rodents make contact with humans and, with proper attention, can become loyal friends. The rat cage should be spacious (minimum 30x90 cm). Pets should be allowed out of their cage for a walk.

Decorative rat

They are the smallest representatives of rodents. The body length is about 8 cm. Mice are white in color, and there are individuals with colored fur. Animals should be kept separately to prevent them from breeding. It is necessary to take animals of the same sex, preferably females, since males behave aggressively and sometimes fight.

Decorative mouse

Chinchillas They attract buyers with their expensive, thick fur, pleasant to the touch. An adult 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. As pet They breed short-tailed and long-tailed chinchillas. Both species are distinguished by a beautiful gray-blue coat color.

Chinchilla

Lifespan guinea pigs is 6-7 years, sometimes 10 years. Rodents have a calm character, rarely bite, and are in demand in families with children. The basis of a guinea pig's diet is fresh hay. Your pet's diet should include vegetables containing vitamin C. They are affectionate, sociable, and capable of becoming loyal friends.

Guinea pig

Jerboas difficult in content. Even the most small rodent requires special care. For dwarf breeds, an aquarium filled with gravel or sand is suitable as a home. Conditions of detention should be close to natural. It is recommended to place 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 comb-toed jerboas. They do not tolerate temperature changes and humidity well. Representatives of this breed survive the worst in captivity.

Jerboa

Rodents have their own habits, character, needs social interaction. Most members of the squad prefer to lead night look life, which should be taken into account when purchasing a rodent as a pet.

RODENTS (Rodentia), order of the class Mammals. Fossil remains have been known since the Paleocene. Small and average size animals; body length from 5 (mouserfish) to 130 (capybara) cm; weight from 6 g to 50 kg. Externally, rodents are very diverse; Among them there are various life forms: underground (diggers, gophers, zokor, mole rats), arboreal (squirrels, flying squirrels), aquatic (beavers, nutria, muskrats), adapted to fast running (jerboas, maras, agoutis). The hair of rodents is represented by soft, uniform fur (mole rats, zokor), fur, well divided into guard hairs and underfur (beavers, nutria), quills (porcupines) or completely absent (naked mole rats). The forelimbs are 5-4-toed, the hind limbs are 5-3-toed. What is common to the order is the structure of the dental system. All rodents have highly developed incisors (1 pair in each jaw), which do not have roots and grow throughout the life of the animal; their cutting edge self-sharpens when worn (due to the different hardness of enamel and dentin). In some rodents ( gray voles) constant growth is also characteristic of molars. There are no fangs, resulting in a large gap (diastema) between the incisors and cheek teeth - premolars or molars. The brain is relatively large, the surface of the hemispheres is smooth.

Rodents are the largest (about 355 genera, more than 1,600 species) and diverse order of mammals. It contains 30-35 modern families, 3 of which are the most numerous and include up to 2/3 modern species: squirrels (about 40 genera and 230 species), hamsters (6-8 subfamilies, up to 100 genera, about 500 species) and mice (up to 17 subfamilies, about 120 genera, more than 400 species). A number of families consist of a single genus of the same name with 1-2 species (beavers, longlegs, capybaras, pacarnaceae).

Rodents are distributed everywhere except Antarctica; inhabit all natural zones - from the tundra to the desert, from lowland swamps to the highlands. The sharp incisors of rodents are used not only for gnawing solid food, but also for digging. Most rodents are active around the clock; there are species that are active only at night or only in daylight hours days. A number of species hibernate for varying durations, accompanied by a decrease in metabolic rate and body temperature (marmots, gophers, dormouse, etc.). The shelters of rodents are very diverse: deep, complex burrows (viscachas, mole rats, tukotuks), above-ground nests, on the ground or in soil voids (black rat, house mice, mouse mice), huts with an underwater entrance made of branches (beavers) or grass (muskrats) , hanging nests made of grass (baby mouse) or in trees (squirrels). Rodents feed on plant foods (seeds, fruits, juicy green parts of plants, bark and wood), many include small vertebrates and invertebrates in their diet, some are exclusively insectivorous (grasshopper hamsters), piscivorous (fish-eating hamsters) or carnivorous (a number of species of large rats) . They can lead a solitary or colonial lifestyle, including division of functions, like social insects (naked mole rats).

In all natural areas Rodents predominate in numbers among mammals. As a rule, rodents are highly fertile: several litters per year (usually 2-4), up to 8-15 cubs each. Many people experience early puberty (at 2-3 months of life). The number of small rodents (mice, voles) can increase 100 times or more in some years, often giving way to years of almost complete extinction over large areas.

The ecological role of rodents is great everywhere. For example, in the tundra, changes in lemming numbers largely determine the dynamics of the entire ecosystem; in deserts, the burrowing activity of rodents supports the existence of many animals, promotes soil mixing, determines the moisture regime and species composition vegetation; By creating dams and swamping vast areas, beavers form a specific landscape.

Some rodents (including chinchilla, beaver, nutria, muskrat) are valuable objects of the fur trade. Many rodents ( forest voles, lemmings, gray voles, etc.) serve as the main food for valuable fur-bearing predators (arctic fox, sable, marten, etc.). Among rodents there are species that cause great damage to crop production, agriculture and forestry, as well as food supplies (rats, mice, ground squirrels, hamsters). Many species of rodents are distributors infectious diseases humans (including plague, tularemia, rickettsiosis, leptospirosis, leishmaniasis, tick-borne encephalitis, hemorrhagic fevers, etc.). Gray and black rat and house mice have spread throughout the world along with humans, forming populations that are entirely dependent on human activity. Some rodents can cause significant damage to various technical devices and structures.

Among rodents there are species with a small range, adapted to unique regional ecosystems (viscacha, Patagonian mara, pacarna). Many species of rodents have become rare or have a steady downward trend in numbers. About 700 species of rodents are listed in the IUCN Red Book, 7 species are in the Red Book Russian Federation. There are examples of successful population restoration (beavers).

Lit.: Sokolov V. E. Systematics of mammals. M., 1977. Part 2: Orders: lagomorphs, rodents; Gromov I.M., Erbaeva M.A. Lagomorphs and rodents. St. Petersburg, 1995.

Capybaras

The order Rodents has a varied range of body sizes. One of the smallest rodents is the marsh hamster ( Delanymys brooksi), common in swamps and mountain forests. It weighs from 5 to 7 grams and has a length of 5 to 6 cm. The largest rodent is the capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) from Central and, which weighs from 35 to 66 kg and has a height at the withers from 50 to 60 cm, and a body length from 100 to 135 cm. Some extinct species were even larger, reaching the size of a small rhinoceros. Most large rodent (Josephoartigasia monesi), lived about two to four million years ago, in the era of and; According to some estimates, it was about 3 meters long and weighed almost 1000 kg.

Description

Common flying squirrel

All rodents have continuously growing rootless incisors with a hard enamel layer at the front of each tooth and softer dentin. Gnawing on hard food constantly wears down the incisors. The absence of canines in rodents results in a gap or diastema between the incisors and molars. They have 12 to 22 teeth

The structure of the jaw ensures that the incisors, upper and lower premolars, and molars do not meet while the animal chews. Powerful muscles, attached to the jaw and skull, provide the force of chewing and gnawing.

The body shape of tree squirrels may be a model for the earliest and now extinct rodents of the genus Paramys. With their ability to grip bark with their claws, squirrels are adept at climbing tree trunks, running along branches, and jumping onto nearby trees; but they are equally agile on land, and some are able swimmers.

The specialized body shapes of other rodent species tie them to certain ones. Some have a strict tree species has a prehensile tail; others glide from tree to tree using lethal leathery membranes located between the fore and hind limbs (for example,). Highly specialized burrowing rodents, including mole rats, mole rats, and ground squirrels, have cylindrical bodies, strong incisors, small eyes and ears, and large forelimbs with powerful burrowing claws.

Semi-aquatic rodents, such as muskrats, nutria and water rats, have special features that allow them to forage in aquatic environments, but at the same time live in earthen burrows. Terrestrial jumping species such as kangaroo jumpers, jerboas and gerbils have short forelimbs, elongated and powerful hind limbs, and a long tail used for balance.

Regardless of body shape, all rodents have the same adaptations that can be used for different purposes: cutting grass, opening nuts, killing their prey, digging tunnels, felling trees, etc.

Basic characteristics of rodents

The main characteristics of rodents include:

• one pair of incisors on each jaw (upper and lower);
• incisors grow continuously;
• incisors have no enamel on the back of the tooth (and wear down with use);
• large gap (diastema) behind the incisors;
• no fangs;
• complex masticatory muscles;
• there is a fully developed baculum.

Nutrition

Rodents eat a variety of foods, including leaves, fruits, seeds and small animals. Cellulose foods are digested in the cecum (a sac in the digestive tract that contains cells that can break down solid plant material into a digestible form). Food is either eaten where it is collected, or it is brought into burrows for storage (for example, gopher rats, Gambian rats, hamsters, etc.). Species living in arid habitats and on water can obtain the necessary fluid from their food.

Behavior and reproduction

Some rodents are capable of constructing a wide variety of houses; These range from holes in trees and rocks, simple burrows in nests, structures made of leaves and sticks in treetops, to complex underground tunnels, and the construction of dams on rivers and streams.

Rodents can be diurnal or nocturnal, or are sometimes active for part of the day and night. Representatives of this order can be active throughout the year, but some species experience periods of rest or deep winter hibernation.

The timing and frequency of reproduction, length of gestation, and litter size vary greatly from species to species. Eg, gray rat (Rattus norvegicus) can give birth to up to 22 young at a time, and the house mouse ( Mus musculus) can produce up to 14 litters annually. Population sizes can remain stable or fluctuate, and some species, especially lemmings, migrate when populations become excessively large.

The meaning of rodents

Wherever rodents are found, people often treat them as pests, but they play important role in which they live.

Biologists have long known that rodents tropical forests play a key role in stimulating the growth of new trees in the forest by dispersing seeds.

Many rodents dig extensive burrows and tunnels, which not only provide habitat for many other animal species, but also provide important advantages for soil. Digging tunnels turns over the soil, mixing the top layers of litter and feces with the deeper layers. This process fertilizes the soil and stores carbon needed for plant growth. Tunnels allow water to enter the soil rather than run off.

Plants in forests have mutually beneficial relationship s in the soil. Fungi provide plants nutrients, while plants provide energy for fungi to grow and reproduce. The seeds of some plants, such as orchids, will not even germinate without being attached to the fungus. Rodents such as squirrels and voles can spread their spores. Underground fungi rely almost entirely on rodents to disperse spores and reproduce. When rodents eat mushrooms, they distribute their spores in their feces, helping to create a generation of healthy forests.

Nobody knows when people first became acquainted with rats; this animal always lives next to us.

The rat belongs to mammals, to the order - rodents, suborder - mouse-like. The most common animal on the planet is the rat.

Appearance of the rat, description and characteristics

Rat body oval shape stocky. The body of the animal is from 8 cm to 30 cm, weighing up to 500 g, there are small ones weighing 37 grams.

The eyes and ears are small, the muzzle is sharp and elongated. The tail is long and exceeds the size of the rat's body, without hair or covered with fine hairline? invisible to the human eye (a type of black rat has a tail with a thick coat of fur). There is a species of short-tailed rodents in the world.

A rat's teeth are arranged tightly together in rows and are designed for chewing food. These animals are omnivores; they differ from other predators in the absence of fangs and diastema - this is an area on the gums where there are no teeth.

There are no dental roots, so growth occurs continuously throughout the rat's life. For convenience, they need to constantly grind down their teeth, otherwise she will not be able to close her mouth.

The teeth are strong with hard yellow enamel, which makes it possible to easily chew through concrete, cement and hard various metals.

The rodent's body is covered with a thick, dense coat of guard hairs. The color range is varied, gray with different shades of dark or light, red, orange and even yellow.

These amazing animals have movable toes on their paws, so they easily climb trees and prepare nests in hollows for habitat.

Rats are very active and agile animals, running 17 km a day and jumping up to 1 meter in height. They swim well, are not afraid of water and can catch fish.

Rats often turn their heads in different directions because they have a small visual angle, the world see in shades of grey.

Hearing functions perfectly, rats distinguish sounds with a frequency of up to 40 kHz (humans up to 20 kHz).

Life expectancy is from 1 year to 3 years. In laboratory conditions, rats can live 2 times longer.

Difference between rats and mice

Rats and mice are representatives of the same suborder, but they differ significantly in appearance and behavior.

The body of a mouse is small, up to 20 cm, weighing up to 50 grams, rats are twice as large, they are dense and muscular, weighing up to 900 grams.

Pronounced distinctive shapes head and eyes, in mice it is triangular and slightly flattened with large eyes, in rats the muzzle is elongated with small eyes.

A strong body and powerful toes allow rats to jump high up to 1 meter; mice cannot do such tricks.

Mice are cowardly animals and are afraid to appear in front of people, but this does not bother rats; they can defend themselves. There are many cases where they attacked a person.

Rats are omnivores, eating meat and plant foods. On the contrary, mice have a greater preference for cereals and seeds.

Habitat of rats and lifestyle

Large rats live all over the world except Antarctica and the polar regions. They live in groups, very rarely living alone.

Most often, groups consist of hundreds of individuals with one male at the head and two to three females. The territory of residence for each group is its own, extending up to 2 thousand square meters.

The diet depends on the habitat. Omnivorous rats eat approximately 25 grams of food per day, but without water it is difficult for them daily norm moisture up to 35 ml.

Gray rats mainly feed on protein foods of animal origin, small rodents, toads, and chicks.

Black rats prefer food of plant origin: green plants, nuts, fruits, grains.

Rats are wary of pigs, hedgehogs, ferrets, dogs and cats - these are the main land enemies. Among the birds, the most feared and avoided rodents are the hawk, owl, eagle and kite.

Reproduction and lifespan of rats

Rats do not have a mating season; they can breed year-round. But the peak of sexual activity comes in spring and summer. The female mates with different males, pregnancy in rats lasts up to 24 days, and a lactating female carries the cubs for up to 34 days.

Rats prepare nests in advance and cover the bottom with soft grass, cloth, and paper for the birth of offspring. The cubs emerge naked and blind. At birth of the dead baby rats, the mother devours them, the number at birth can be up to 20.

The male can eat all the offspring if there are non-viable rat pups; he does not take part in caring for them. The female, on the contrary, provides meticulous care, feeds milk, licks the babies and removes debris from the nest.

After 17 days, the little rats open their eyes, and a month later they lead a full life on their own. Puberty begins after 3-4 months, and they can reproduce 6 months after birth. Life expectancy is up to two years.

Gray rats breed up to 8 times a year, but black rats breed only in the warm season. Today, experts estimate that there are 2 rats per person in the world.

Why are rats dangerous?

Rats are a disaster for all humanity. They gnaw through walls in the basements of houses, sewer pipes, damage electrical mains, and damage crops.

Rats are carriers of more than 20 infectious diseases, such as leptospirosis, plague, salmonellosis, pseudotuberculosis and others. Many are dangerously fatal to human life.

It is difficult to exterminate rats using chemicals because the animal’s body quickly adapts to the poison and develops protective immunity to toxins.

Rats are a pet

Rats are ideal pets. They quickly become tamed to humans and recognize their owner by the face.

Neat and clean animals do not require special care. They will give their owner many funny moments; they are very interesting to watch.

But the owner of a pet rat should not forget that this is a social animal and it is difficult for him to live alone. The rat definitely needs a mate, otherwise a mental disorder may develop.

Type of rat, name and photo

There are about 70 species of rats in the world, most of which are little studied; below are common species of rodents with brief description and a photo of a rat.

The gray rat (pasyuk) is one of the larger species, up to 25 cm long, the tail is not taken into account. Weight from 140 grams to 390 grams, with a wide, elongated muzzle. The gray coat of young animals becomes orange with age. It lives near water, in dense vegetation and digs holes up to 5 meters.

The black rat is smaller in size than the gray rat, with a much smaller muzzle and rounded ears. Body length up to 22 cm, weight about 300 grams. A significant difference between this species of rodent is the tail, which is densely covered with hair and 4-5 times longer than size torso.

Lives in Asia, Africa and Europe. For a long time can live without water, so it lives in dry places. The wool is black with a green tint.

The small rat differs from its fellows in size. Body length up to 15 cm maximum with body weight up to 80 grams. It has a brown coat color, a sharp muzzle and inconspicuous small ears. The tail is as long as the body without any signs of fur. Lives in Southeast Asia.

The long-haired rat is characterized by long hair and high activity. Males grow up to 18 cm, and females up to 16 cm in length. The tail is 4-5 cm smaller in size from the body. Habitat in arid deserts.

The Turkestan rat lives in China, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan. The fur is red, the belly is pale yellow, the body length is up to 23 cm. This variety is similar to the gray one, but has a denser body and a wide head in size.

Black-tailed rat or rabbit. It has average dimensions up to 22 cm, weight about 190 grams.

An interesting feature of this type of tail is a tuft of hair at the tip.

The back is painted gray and Brown color with noticeable black hairs.

They live in Australia and New Guinea mainly in eucalyptus forests, thick grass and bushes. Lead active image They live at night and hide in holes during the day.

Interesting and educational facts about the life of rats

In India there is a Karni Mata temple where rats are revered, cared for and protected. If the rules for caring for a sacred animal and killing it are violated, this person is obliged to bring a golden figurine in the form of a rat to the temple.

In some American states, it is illegal to hit a rat with a baseball bat and can result in a $1,000 fine.

In Asian and African countries, rats are considered a worthy delicacy for festive dinner. Rat meat is considered a delicacy.

A gray rat eats up to 12 kg of various cereal products per year. Experts have calculated that every year about 6 kg of one farmer’s harvest is spent on feeding one rat.

Squad Rodents

The squad unites different types squirrels, beavers, mice, voles, rats and many others. They are distinguished by a number of features. One of them is the peculiar structure of the teeth, adapted to feeding on hard food. plant foods(branches of trees and shrubs, seeds, herbaceous plants). All rodents, unlike lagomorphs, have one pair of incisors in the upper jaw. They are rootless and grow continuously throughout the animal's life. In addition, they grind unevenly and have the appearance of a chisel, since their front side is covered with harder and denser enamel than the back. Molars have a wide surface and are adapted for grinding plant foods.

Most rodents are highly fertile: they bear numerous offspring several times throughout the year.

Rodents are widespread on our planet and very diverse; there are about 2 thousand species of these animals.

Common squirrel

Common squirrel- a small animal with a somewhat elongated body and a long fluffy tail. She lives mainly in old conifers and mixed forests, in trees, can climb a trunk, deftly jump from branch to branch, from one tree to another. Movement through trees is facilitated by such structural features as strong hind legs, sharp claws on the toes, and a long fluffy tail, which acts as a parachute when jumping. In summer the squirrel is red, and in winter it is light gray, the color change has protective value. Summer coloring makes it inconspicuous on the trunks of coniferous trees, while winter coloring hides the animal against the background of snow.

The squirrel lives in hollows or makes spherical nests made of twigs and moss with a side entrance in trees, at a height of 2 to 6 m. In summer, squirrels are born in them (from 3 to 10), which after two months become independent.

In summer, the squirrel feeds on seeds of coniferous trees, mushrooms, insects, and can attack small birds and their chicks. For the winter, the squirrel collects large supplies of food, as it does not hibernate. IN very coldy she climbs into a hollow or nest and sleeps there all day long, curled up in a ball.

The squirrel is of great commercial importance; the winter fur of the Siberian squirrel is especially valued.

Beaver- one of the largest rodents (body length reaches 80 cm). It is adapted to life not only on land, but also in aquatic environment. On land it seems clumsy, but in water it moves superbly thanks to its streamlined body shape. When immersed in water, the beaver's auditory openings and nostrils close, and the lips close behind the incisors. The tail is wide and flat, covered with scales, and acts as a rudder when moving in water. Swimming is also aided by the hind limbs, the toes of which are connected by a swimming membrane. Fur with a thick undercoat that does not allow water to pass through.

Beavers live along the banks of rivers and lakes with thickets of aspen, willow, and birch. They dig holes on steep banks with an exit under water, and on low, swampy banks they build huts from thick branches, twigs and earth, which are well cemented with silt, durable and also have an exit under water. To maintain the water level in the river, dams are built from sticks and branches held together with silt and earth. In summer, beavers feed on succulent parts of aquatic plants; in autumn and winter they eat young bark and shoots of various deciduous trees. Beavers breed once in the warm season. The cubs are born sighted, covered with thick dark brown hair, swim well, but cannot dive. The beaver has many enemies; wolves, wolverines, lynxes and foxes are especially dangerous for it.

The beaver was once a valuable game animal; its beautiful fur has long been valued. Currently, beaver hunting is prohibited everywhere.

Wood mouse

Rodents also include the gray rat, mice, voles, etc. In the European part of our country, in Central Asia and Western Siberia lives small animal - wood mouse By appearance it is similar to a field mouse, but somewhat larger, it has a different color: the back is red, the belly is white, and there is a yellow spot on the chest between the front legs.

The wood mouse lives in mixed and deciduous forests, in places with well-developed undergrowth and an abundance of dead wood. Active at night, during the day it is found in burrows under tree roots or in hollows.

It feeds mainly on seeds of deciduous trees, hazelnuts, berries and even insects, and eats tree seedlings. Wood mice are considered forest pests, as they destroy large quantities tree seeds, preventing their regeneration.

Bank vole

In the forest and forest-steppe zones lives in our country bank vole.

It is also small, but unlike the mouse, it has a less blunt muzzle, a short tail, covered with short, sparse hair.

The color of the fur is dominated by red tones.

In winter, the vole lives in haystacks or in buildings, in summer - under the roots of uprooted stumps, hollows, and piles of brushwood. Here she makes nests with branched passages. The vole feeds mainly on green parts of plants, seeds, berries, and mushrooms. Many people feed on it beasts of prey and birds. During the years of mass reproduction, the vole destroys a huge amount of seeds of forest trees, as well as stocks of vegetables in warehouses. Therefore, it is considered a pest of forestry and agriculture.

Gray rat

The largest representative of mouse-like rodents is gray rat. It is widespread throughout our country and lives in a wide variety of conditions, in residential and outbuildings, in basements, in barnyards. In summer it is often found in vegetable gardens, wastelands and fields. The rat is very dexterous, agile and fearless. At the same time, she is very careful and skillfully avoids various obstacles.

Gray rats are omnivorous rodents, as they feed on small animals, such as voles, small birds, eat human food supplies, carrion, grain, etc. They are agricultural pests and carriers of many diseases.

Jerboas

Very peculiar rodents live in the steppes, semi-deserts and deserts - jerboas. They have short front and very long hind legs, a tail with a flat tuft of hair at the end. Jerboas move by jumping, with the tail serving as both a rudder and a support (see textbook illustration, p. 231).

Jerboas are nocturnal, live in burrows, and hibernate during the winter. They feed on seeds, leaves, stems of cereals, tubers and bulbs of wild plants. In turn, they are prey for desert predatory animals, birds, and reptiles.

Porcupine

Porcupine- the largest rodent, body length from 60 to 90 cm, and weight about 27 kg. He has small eyes and ears. The front part of the body is covered with bristles, and the back with needles. The tail is covered with short spines (see textbook illustration, p. 231).

The porcupine is distributed in the south of Central Asia and Azerbaijan, living in desert foothills and hilly areas. Spends the day in a hole or cave, and at night leads an active lifestyle. It feeds on plants: green parts, roots, bulbs and tubers, fruits and seeds of trees and shrubs. Causes damage in places agriculture, eating potatoes, corn and melons.

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Order Chiroptera This order includes the bats and fruit bats. The only group of mammals capable of long-term active flight. The forelimbs are transformed into wings. They are formed by a thin elastic leathery flight membrane, which is stretched between

From the author's book

Order Lagomorpha These are small and medium-sized mammals. They have two pairs of incisors in the upper jaw, located one after the other so that behind the large front ones there is a second pair of small and short ones. There is only one pair of incisors in the lower jaw. There are no fangs, and incisors

From the author's book

Order Primates This order includes the most diverse mammals in appearance and lifestyle. However they have a number common features: relatively large skull, eye sockets almost always directed forward, thumb opposed

From the author's book

Rendezvous No. 10 Rodents and lagomorphs This rendezvous was scheduled 75 million years ago. It is here that the pilgrims are stopped and surrounded by a horde of rodents. Here we welcome rabbits, their related hares, and the slightly less closely related pikas. Previously, rabbits were classified as rodents because they

From the author's book

7.2. Order Primates Man belongs to the order Primates. To understand the systematic position of man in it, it is necessary to imagine the phylogenetic relationships of the various groups of this