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Download as PDF; Printable version; In other projects ... This is a list of the largest rodents. Rank Common name Scientific name Status Maximum body mass [kg (lb ...
The Muridae, or murids, are either the largest or second-largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 870 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia.
Rodents are animals that gnaw with two continuously growing incisors. Forty percent of mammal species are rodents, and they inhabit every continent except Antarctica. This list contains circa 2,700 species in 518 genera in the order Rodentia. [1]
As of 2021, the American Society of Mammalogists has recognized 2,277 different species of rodents, making up 35% to 40% of all mammal species on the planet, depending on which authority you talk to.
The largest of these insectivorous mammals is the giant otter shrew (Potamogale velox), native to Central Africa.This species can weigh up to 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) and measure 0.64 metres (2.1 ft) in total length.
The cricetids are small mammals, ranging from just 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in) in length and 7 g (0.25 oz) in weight in the New World pygmy mouse up to 41–62 cm (16–24 in) and 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) in the muskrat. The length of their tails varies greatly in relation to their bodies, and they may be either furred or sparsely haired.
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species.Members of this subfamily are called murines.In terms of species richness, this subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the rodents.
Although one of the largest rodents in Africa and one of the largest species commonly called a "rat", it is not closely related to typical Rattus species. Greater cane rats can measure in head-and-body length from 43 to 60 cm (17 to 24 in) with the tail measuring 16 to 19.5 cm (6.3 to 7.7 in).