Rodents

Rodents are gnawing mammals that are distinguished by their two incisor teeth in each jaw. These teeth continue to grow throughout the rodent's life but are worn down by the gnawing. Rodents have no canine teeth like carnivores do. Rodents are one of the most successful orders of mammals and are found in nearly all habitats. 

Woodchucks
Marmota monax

Habitat:
Forest edges and heavy brush areas, usually near open fields.
Adult weight:
7 - 13 lbs., male; 5 - 10 lbs., female
Adult body length:
18 - 22 inches, male; 16 - 20 inches, female
Breeding period:
March - May
Litter size:
2 - 7 offspring
Life Expectancy:
2 - 3 years
Typical foods:
Grasses, clover, alfalfa, soybeans, peas, lettuce and fruit


Image from Ohio History Central

Woodchuck video  
(8.2 Mbytes MPEG)

Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis

Habitat:
Throughout Ohio in cities and parks. Hill country with oak, hickory, tulip trees, beech, and maple
Adult weight:
12-24 ounces
Adult body length:
8-10 inches (tail length: 7.8-10 inches)
Birth period:
February - March and July - August
Litters per year:
1
Litter size:
3 - 5 young
Life expectancy:
1-5 years
Typical foods:
nuts, seeds, and fruits of hickory, beech, oak, black walnut, tulip tree, sugar maple, flowering dogwood, buckeye, wild grape, paw paw, persimmon, butternut, and black cherry; also insects.


Image from Ohio History Central

Eastern Chipmunk
Tamias striatus 

Habitat:
Hardwood forests and edges, rocks, stone walls, outbuildings.
Adult weight:
 
Adult body length:
Head and body, 5-6 in.; tail, to 4 in.
Birth period:
Born in an underground chamber
Litters per year:
Usually 2 litters yearly.
Litter size:
3-5 young
Life expectancy:
To 8 years
Typical foods:
Nuts, berries, seeds, insects, and small animals; stores food.


Image from bcadventure.com

Chipmunk video
(8.2 Mbytes MPEG)

Deer Mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus

Name House Mouse
Habitat:
Buildings in farms and cities; cultivated fields.
Adult weight:
5/8 - 3/4 oz.
Adult body length:
5 1/8 - 7 3/4 inches; tail: 2 1/2 - 4 inches
Breeding Period:
Throughout the year
Litters per year:
10
Litter size:
3 -16
Life Expectancy:
15- 18 months
Typical foods:
Weed seeds, caterpillars, insects, grains, human food and garbage.


Image from project participants

Norway Rat
Rattus norvegicus

Name
Norway Rat
Habitat:
Farms, cities, fields, human houses
Adult weight:
6-17 oz.
Adult body length:
12 1/2 - 18 inches; tail: 4 3/4 - 8 1/2 inches
Breeding Period:
Throughout the year
Litters per year:
10
Litter size:
2 - 15
Life Expectancy:
3 years maximum
Typical foods:
Meat, insects, wild plants, seeds, grain, birds, eggs, human food and garbage

 

Back Home Next

This Page Created By:  Dennis Churchill and Zach Nycz
Last updated: July 17, 2002
Questions or comments to webmaster