"the population of muskrat. Some escaped and found the swamps of Louisiana ideal territory, leading to their common name of swamp rat. With the decline in the fur market in the 1980s, the population mushroomed and threatened the stability of the wetland ecosystem by eating away the plants that hold the swamp together. Typically, nutria is sheared or plucked for the fur trade. It can be dyed a variety of colors. Its middle weight – considerably lighter than beaver – also makes it suitable for linings. More recently, it is used by some furriers without plucking or shearing. In its"
"once numbered in the tens of thousands and had destroyed thousands of acres of marshland, had nearly succeeded by 2012. Coypu The coypu (, ; ""Myocastor coypus""), also known as the nutria, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent. Classified for a long time as the only member of the family Myocastoridae, ""Myocastor"" is actually nested within Echimyidae, the family of the spiny rats. The coypu lives in burrows alongside stretches of water, and feeds on river plant stems. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has since been introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by"
"Coypu The coypu (, ; ""Myocastor coypus""), also known as the nutria, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent. Classified for a long time as the only member of the family Myocastoridae, ""Myocastor"" is actually nested within Echimyidae, the family of the spiny rats. The coypu lives in burrows alongside stretches of water, and feeds on river plant stems. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has since been introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by fur farmers. Although it is still valued for its fur in some regions, its destructive feeding and burrowing behaviours make"
"Black rat The black rat (""Rattus rattus""), also known as the ship rat, roof rat or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus ""Rattus"" (rats) in the subfamily Murinae. Black rats are generalist omnivores. They are serious pests to farmers as they eat a wide range of agricultural crops. The black rat is one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, ""Systema Naturae"". It was originally described as ""Mus rattus"". Three subspecies were once recognized, but today are considered invalid. They were: A typical adult black rat is long, not including"
"""giant rat"" was killed in County Durham, with authorities suspecting the animal was, in fact, a coypu. Marsh Dog, a US company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, received a grant from the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program to establish a company that uses nutria meat for dog food products. In 2012, the Louisiana Wildlife Federation recognized Marsh Dog with ""Business Conservationist of the Year"" award for finding a use for this ecosustainable protein. In Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, nutria (Russian and local languages Нутрия) are farmed on private plots and sold in local markets as a poor man's meat. As of 2016,"
"an assemblage of small mammals in open ""Acacia"" woodland. The most abundant rodent in this habitat is the African grass rat (""Arvicanthis niloticus""), followed by the Natal multimammate mouse (""Mastomys natalensis""). The shrews ""Crocidura"" spp. were also abundant as were the fat mice (""Steatomys"" spp.), Gerbils (""Gerbilliscus"" spp.), tree mice (""Dendromus"" spp.), pouched rats (""Saccostomus"" spp.) and mice in the subgenus Nannomys. In ""Terminalia"" woodland, characterised by the trees ""Terminalia mollis"" and ""Combretum molle"" and various shrubs, a different community of small mammals is found. Here the Natal multimammate mouse is the most common species, with the tiny fat mouse,"
"very lean, protein-rich meat, low in fat and cholesterol with the taste, texture, and appearance of rabbit or dark turkey meat. Few pathogens are associated with the meat, but proper heating when cooking should kill them. The quality of the meat and the minimal harmful microorganisms associated with it make nutria meat an ""excellent food product for export markets"". Several desirable control methods are currently ineffective for various reasons. Zinc phosphide is the only rodenticide currently registered to control nutria, but it is expensive, remains toxic for months, detoxifies in high humidity and rain, and requires construction of (expensive) floating"
"this invasive species's endurance controversial to human occupants throughout most of its range. The genus name ""Myocastor"" derives from the two Ancient Greek words (), meaning ""rat, mouse"", and (), meaning ""beaver"". Literally, therefore, the name ""Myocastor"" means ""beaver rat"". Two names are commonly used in English for ""Myocastor coypus"". The name ""nutria"" (from Spanish ""nutria"") is generally used in North America, Asia, and throughout countries of the former Soviet Union; however, in most Spanish-speaking countries, the word ""nutria"" refers primarily to the otter. To avoid this ambiguity, the name ""coypu"" or ""coipo"" (derived from the Mapudungun language) is used"
"Brown rat The brown rat (""Rattus norvegicus""), also known as the common rat, street rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat, Parisian rat, water rat or wharf rat, is one of the best known and most common rats. One of the largest muroids, it is a brown or grey rodent with a head and body length of up to long, and a slightly shorter tail. It weighs between . Thought to have originated in northern China, this rodent has now spread to all continents except Antarctica, and is the dominant rat in Europe and much of North America,"
"populations on the islands. Black rat The black rat (""Rattus rattus""), also known as the ship rat, roof rat or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus ""Rattus"" (rats) in the subfamily Murinae. Black rats are generalist omnivores. They are serious pests to farmers as they eat a wide range of agricultural crops. The black rat is one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, ""Systema Naturae"". It was originally described as ""Mus rattus"". Three subspecies were once recognized, but today are considered invalid. They were: A typical adult black rat"
"Arnhem Land rock rat The Arnhem Land rock rat (""Zyzomys maini"") also known as the Arnhem rock-rat and by the Indigenous Australian name of kodjperr is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Top End Region of the Northern Territory in Australia. The rat typically grows to a size of in length with a mass of . It can be distinguished from other local rodents by its long whiskers, swollen tail and Roman nose. It is an entirely terrestrial and nocturnal species, with a diet that consists mainly of seeds, fruit and some"
"Giant hutia The giant hutias are an extinct group of large rodents known from fossil and subfossil material in the West Indies. One species, ""Amblyrhiza inundata"", is estimated to have weighed between , big specimens being as large as an American black bear. This is twice as large as the capybara, the largest rodent living today, but still much smaller than ""Josephoartigasia monesi"", the largest rodent known. These animals were probably used as a food source by aboriginal humans. All giant hutias are in a single family, Heptaxodontidae, which contains no living species; this grouping seems to be paraphyletic and"
"throat white. Tail blackish brown with fine dark hairs. Long, shiny black whiskers. Fur soft and long, up to 45mm in length in back. Feet covered with short hairs. Nillu rat The Nillu rat or Sri Lankan mountain rat (""Rattus montanus"") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Sri Lanka where it is known as நில்ளு எலி (Nillu Eli) in Tamil and නෙලූ මීයා(Nelu Meeya) in Sinhalese. The Nillu rat is only found in Knuckles, Horton Plains, Nuwara Eliya, and Ohiya in the central highlands of Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka."
"other. In the south, the hispid cotton rat (""Sigmodon hispidus"") and the rice rat regularly occur together; water levels are known to influence relative abundance of these two species in Florida. The cotton rat is mainly active during the day, which may help differentiate its niche from that of the rice rat. The marsh rice rat takes both vegetable and animal food, and is more carnivorous than most small rodents are; dominant food items vary seasonally. Plants eaten include species of ""Spartina"", ""Salicornia"", ""Tripsacum"", and ""Elymus"", among others; it mainly eats seeds and succulent parts. It prefers ""Spartina alterniflora"" that"
"Oryzomys dimidiatus Oryzomys dimidiatus, also known as the Nicaraguan oryzomys, Thomas's rice rat, or Nicaraguan rice rat, is a rodent in the genus ""Oryzomys"" of the family Cricetidae. It is known from only three specimens, all collected in southeastern Nicaragua since 1904. Placed in ""Nectomys"" upon its discovery, it was later classified in its own subgenus of ""Oryzomys"" and finally recognized as closely related to other species now placed in ""Oryzomys"", including the marsh rice rat and ""Oryzomys couesi"", which occurs in the same region. With a head and body length of 110 to 128 mm (4.3 to 5.0 in),"
"to farmlands and people. Cane rat The genus Thryonomys, also known as the cane rats, is a genus of rodent found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, the only members of the family Thryonomyidae. They are eaten in some African countries and are a pest species on many crops. The family name comes from the Greek word ""thryon"", meaning a ""rush"" or ""reed"". Cane rats range in body length from 35 to 60 centimetres. They commonly weigh 6-7 kilograms in captivity, and can attain weights up to 10 kilograms in the wild. They are heavily built rodents, with bristly brown"
"Cane rat The genus Thryonomys, also known as the cane rats, is a genus of rodent found throughout Africa south of the Sahara, the only members of the family Thryonomyidae. They are eaten in some African countries and are a pest species on many crops. The family name comes from the Greek word ""thryon"", meaning a ""rush"" or ""reed"". Cane rats range in body length from 35 to 60 centimetres. They commonly weigh 6-7 kilograms in captivity, and can attain weights up to 10 kilograms in the wild. They are heavily built rodents, with bristly brown fur speckled with yellow"
"Noronhomys Noronhomys vespuccii, also known as Vespucci's rodent, is an extinct rat species from the islands of Fernando de Noronha off northeastern Brazil. Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci may have seen it on a visit to Fernando de Noronha in 1503, but it subsequently became extinct, perhaps because of the exotic rats and mice introduced by the first explorers of the island. Numerous but fragmentary fossil remains of the animal, of uncertain but probably Holocene age, were discovered in 1973 and described in 1999. ""Noronhomys vespuccii"" was a fairly large rodent, larger than the black rat (""Rattus rattus""). A member of"
"fruit and vegetables. It makes tunnels in walls of irrigation canals and can cause leaks and flooding. It has many predators, including jackals, foxes, jungle cats, polecats, weasels, snakes and domestic cats and dogs. Short-tailed bandicoot rat The short-tailed bandicoot rat (""Nesokia indica"") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. Other common names include short-tailed mole-rat, Indian bandicoot, bandicoot-rat, flat-tooth rat and short-tailed nesokia. The short-tailed bandicoot rat is generally brown on the upper parts and lighter on the underside, sometimes with a white patch on the throat. It has long, dense and soft hair in the winter,"
"subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, subtropical or tropical moist shrubland, arable land, pastureland, rural gardens, urban areas, irrigated land, and seasonally flooded agricultural land. These rats associate closely with humans, and are commonly found in and around African villages. In 1972, the Natal multimammate rat was found to be the natural host of the Lassa fever virus. Natal multimammate mouse The Natal multimammate mouse (""Mastomys natalensis"") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is also known as the Natal multimammate rat, the"
"blanket over a porcupine and retrieving the quills it left stuck in the blanket. At least 89 species of rodent, mostly Hystricomorpha such as guinea pigs, agoutis and capybaras, are eaten by humans; in 1985, there were at least 42 different societies in which people eat rats. Guinea pigs were first raised for food around 2500 B.C. and by 1500 B.C. had become the main source of meat for the Inca Empire. Dormice were raised by the Romans in special pots called ""gliraria"", or in large outdoor enclosures, where they were fattened on walnuts, chestnuts, and acorns. The dormice were"
"related to the Black Plague, in which black rats played an important role. Fictional works based on the tale that focus heavily on the rat aspect include Pratchett's ""The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents"", and Belgian graphic novel """" (""The Ball of the Dead Rat""). Rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. All species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ""Rattus"". Other rat genera include ""Neotoma"" (pack rats), ""Bandicota"" (bandicoot rats) and ""Dipodomys"" (kangaroo rats). Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size. Generally, when someone discovers a"
"is the only known animal to be able to digest the wax found inside the jojoba nut and is the only rodent from the Sonoran Desert that is able to eat the seeds, because they are poisonous to most other mammals. In the 1970s, researchers removed kangaroo rats from an ecosystem in the Chihuahuan Desert, and for many years, no other small rodents moved in to fill the niche they left. In 1995, twenty years after the experimental removal, Bailey's pocket mouse moved into the area and filled the gap, almost completely replacing the missing kangaroo rats. Bailey's pocket mouse"
"means S-tooth. ""Sigmodon hispidus"" was the first model organism to be used in polio research. Cotton rat A cotton rat is any member of the rodent genus Sigmodon. They are called cotton rats because they build their nests out of cotton, and can damage cotton crops. Cotton rats have small ears and dark coats, and are found in North and South America. Members of this genus are distributed in the Southwestern USA, Mexico, Central America and South American countries of: Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Guyana and Suriname. Many of the species are found in Mexico. They are primarily herbivores."
"Rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. All species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ""Rattus"". Other rat genera include ""Neotoma"" (pack rats), ""Bandicota"" (bandicoot rats) and ""Dipodomys"" (kangaroo rats). Rats are typically distinguished from mice by their size. Generally, when someone discovers a large muroid rodent, its common name includes the term ""rat"", while if it is smaller, its name includes the term ""mouse"". The common terms ""rat"" and ""mouse"" are not taxonomically specific, so ""rat"" is not a scientific term, otherwise all rats would belong to the genus"
"Magdalena rat The Magdalena rat (""Xenomys nelsoni"") is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae which is found only in a small region of western Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Xenomys. The common name comes from the village where the first specimen was collected, and the second part of the scientific name refers to the collector. The Magdalena rat is a relatively large member of its family, measuring in length, including the tail. Adults weigh an average of . The general body colour is cinnamon to yellowish brown, being paler on the head and fading"
"North African ostrich (""Struthio camelus camelus"", LC); ferruginous duck (""Aythya nyroca"", NT); lesser flamingo (""Phoenicopterus minor"", NT); white-backed vulture (""Gyps africanus"", NT); Rueppell's griffon (""Gyps rueppellii"", NT); pallid harrier (""Circus macrourus"", NT); red kite (""Milvus milvus"", NT); Stanley bustard (""Neotis denhami"", NT); Nubian bustard (""Neotis nuba"", NT); corn crake (""Crex crex"", NT); black crowned crane (""Balearica pavonina"", NT); Eurasian curlew (""Numenius arquata"", NT); black-tailed godwit (""Limosa limosa"", NT); great snipe (""Gallinago media"", NT); African skimmer (""Rynchops flavirostris"", NT); European roller (""Coracias garrulus"", NT); red-footed falcon (""Falco vespertinus"", NT); sooty falcon (""Falco concolor"", NT); white-headed vulture (""Trigonoceps occipitalis"", VU); Beaudouin's snake-eagle"
"Dassie rat The dassie rat (""Petromus typicus"") is an African rodent found among rocky outcroppings. It is the only living member of its genus, Petromus, and family, Petromuridae. The name ""dassie"" means ""hyrax"" in Afrikaans, and the two animals are found in similar habitats. ""Petromus"" means ""rock mouse"" and dassie rats are one of many rodents sometimes called rock rats. The family and genus names are sometimes misspelled as Petromyidae and Petromys. Dassie rats are squirrel-like in appearance. Their tails are hairy, but not bushy whereas the soles of their feet are distinctly bare and have pads. Their heads are"
"Nillu rat The Nillu rat or Sri Lankan mountain rat (""Rattus montanus"") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Sri Lanka where it is known as நில்ளு எலி (Nillu Eli) in Tamil and නෙලූ මීයා(Nelu Meeya) in Sinhalese. The Nillu rat is only found in Knuckles, Horton Plains, Nuwara Eliya, and Ohiya in the central highlands of Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka. Head and body length is 16–17 cm. Tail is 20–22 cm. Grayish brown with a reddish tinge dorsally, darkest along back. Underparts gray grading into whitish. Chin and upper"
"areas of dense grassy vegetation. Two of the five recognized subspecies are believed to have gone extinct during the twentieth century, including the nominate subspecies, ""Sigmodon arizonae arizonae"". Three subspecies therefore remain: Arizona cotton rat The Arizona cotton rat or Colorado River cotton rat (""Sigmodon arizonae"") is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States. The Arizona cotton rat has a typical rat-like appearance, and is sufficiently similar to the hispid cotton rat that it was considered to be part of the same species until 1970, when genetic analysis confirmed its"
"localities, and is believed to have a very low, and declining, population. Magdalena rat The Magdalena rat (""Xenomys nelsoni"") is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae which is found only in a small region of western Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Xenomys. The common name comes from the village where the first specimen was collected, and the second part of the scientific name refers to the collector. The Magdalena rat is a relatively large member of its family, measuring in length, including the tail. Adults weigh an average of . The general body colour"
"Rodent Rodents (from Latin ""rodere"", ""to gnaw"") are mammals of the order Rodentia, which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents (2,277 species); they are found in vast numbers on all continents except Antarctica. They are the most diversified mammalian order and live in a variety of terrestrial habitats, including human-made environments. Species can be arboreal, fossorial (burrowing), or semiaquatic. Well-known rodents include mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, chipmunks, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils and capybaras. Other animals such as"
"placed in the genus ""Rattus"" (referred to as ""Rattus natalensis""). Later they were placed in the genus ""Mus ""(referred to as ""Mus natalensis"") and then they were placed in the genus ""Praomys"". Today, molecular research has discovered that they are a genus of their own (""Mastomys"") and that they are closely related to ""Praomys"". They are also more closely related to Mus than to Rattus. Mastomys Mastomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Africa. It contains these species: The multimammate mice (also called multimammate rats, African soft-furred rats, natal-rats or African common rats) are found"