Rodents

The word rodent is from a Latin word for gnawing. This is something that all rodents do, in fact their classification in the animal kingdom is based on gnawing. With their chisel-like teeth, they can cut through bark, nutshells, the walls of your house, and even cinder blocks (although only by certain rats). All rodents are similar in design but different in size and abilities. For example, some mice can get through a hole as small as a dime and some rats can swim up through the water trap in a toilet. These animals have been around for more than 50 million years, and it looks like they are here to stay.

Most live out their lives in forests and fields, and pose no problems for man. But some of these rodents are considered to be pests everywhere in the world. In the Middle Ages the bubonic plague killed almost 1/3 of the world's population. It was directly attributable to large quantities of rats living in cities, carrying infected fleas. In modern times, the Hantavirus, of the American south western desert, is known to be transmitted to humans through the urine and feces of the deer mouse. There are other known, and probably many unknown, diseases transmitted by rodents, so our best bet is to keep them in their natural habitat and away from ours.

Of all mammals in the world, almost half are rodents. The list is long: rats, mice, gophers, moles, beavers, squirrels, porcupines, voles, groundhogs, marmots, prairie dogs, lemmings and chipmunks. They can be found in nearly every climate, from arctic to tropic and mountain to desert.

Even in modern times rodents can cause suffering and pain for millions of people worldwide. Below is a picture of the mouse plague of 1999 that caused incredible damage to farms and crops in Australia. It is hard to imagine being waist deep in a pile of mice, but it is possible.

Australian Mouse Plague of 1999

*Click images for a larger version.

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