"such as Muridae had emerged. By the Miocene, when Africa had collided with Asia, African rodents such as the porcupine began to spread into Eurasia. Some fossil species were very large in comparison to modern rodents and included the giant beaver, ""Castoroides ohioensis"", which grew to a length of and weight of . The largest known rodent was ""Josephoartigasia monesi"", a pacarana with an estimated body length of 3 m (10 ft). The first rodents arrived in Australia via Indonesia around 5 million years ago. Although marsupials are the most prominent mammals in Australia, many rodents, all belonging to the"
"in 1982, multiple establishments in Japan that raise capybaras have adopted the practice of having them relax in onsen during the winter. Capybara The capybara (""Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris"") is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire, chigüiro (in Venezuela) and carpincho, it is a member of the genus ""Hydrochoerus"", of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara (""Hydrochoerus isthmius""). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the coypu. The capybara inhabits savannas and"
"Capybara The capybara (""Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris"") is a mammal native to South America. It is the largest living rodent in the world. Also called chigüire, chigüiro (in Venezuela) and carpincho, it is a member of the genus ""Hydrochoerus"", of which the only other extant member is the lesser capybara (""Hydrochoerus isthmius""). Its close relatives include guinea pigs and rock cavies, and it is more distantly related to the agouti, the chinchilla, and the coypu. The capybara inhabits savannas and dense forests and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large"
"unrelated erinaceomorph hedgehogs and Australian monotreme echidnas. The name ""porcupine"" comes from Latin ""porcus"" pig + ""spina"" spine, quill, via Old Italian—Middle French—Middle English. A regional American name for the animal is quill pig. Fossils belonging to the genus ""Hystrix"" date back to the late Miocene of Africa. A porcupine is any of 58 species of rodents belonging to the families Erethizontidae (genera: ""Coendou"", ""Erethizon"", and ""Chaetomys"") or Hystricidae (genera: ""Atherurus"", ""Hystrix"", and ""Trichys""). Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's porcupine of South America weighs less than a kilogram (2.2 lb); the crested porcupine found in Italy, Sicily, North Africa,"
"Mara (mammal) The maras (""Dolichotis"") are a genus of the cavy family of rodents. They are the sole extant representatives of the subfamily Dolichotinae. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina, but also live in Paraguay and elsewhere in South America. Maras are the fourth-largest rodent in the world, after capybaras, beavers, and porcupines, reaching about in height. Two species of maras are recognised, the Patagonian mara (""Dolichotis patagonum""), and the Chacoan mara (""Dolichotis salinicola""). ""Dolichotis"" means ‘long-earred’ (from ‘long’ + ‘ear’) in Ancient Greek. Maras have stocky bodies, three sharp-clawed digits on"
"Quasipaa spinosa Quasipaa spinosa is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is known under many common names, including Chinese spiny frog, giant spiny frog, Chinese edible frog, and spiny paa frog. Its names refer to the distinctive characteristics of the species, relatively large size and the spiny chest of male frogs. Giant in frog terms only, it can nevertheless grow to lengths above ; this makes it the largest frog in Hong Kong. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have suggested that ""Quasipaa spinosa"" is split in three distinct lineages; the nominal ""Quasipaa spinosa"" may thus represent a cryptic"
"nocturnal, simply to avoid social interaction. Mara (mammal) The maras (""Dolichotis"") are a genus of the cavy family of rodents. They are the sole extant representatives of the subfamily Dolichotinae. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina, but also live in Paraguay and elsewhere in South America. Maras are the fourth-largest rodent in the world, after capybaras, beavers, and porcupines, reaching about in height. Two species of maras are recognised, the Patagonian mara (""Dolichotis patagonum""), and the Chacoan mara (""Dolichotis salinicola""). ""Dolichotis"" means ‘long-earred’ (from ‘long’ + ‘ear’) in Ancient Greek. Maras have"
"Greater guinea pig The greater guinea pig, ""Cavia magna"", is a species of rodent found in the coastal strip of Brazil and Uruguay, where it lives in moist grassland and marshes. A large rodent, the greater guinea pig grows to a total length of and weight of for males and a total length of and weight of for females. The dorsal fur is dark agouti brown and the underparts are reddish brown. It is semiaquatic and has membranes joining the toes. Its karyotype has 2n = 64 and FN = 128. This species is native to the coastal strip of"
"Perentie The perentie (""Varanus giganteus"") is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia, and the fourth-largest living lizard on earth, after the Komodo dragon, Asian water monitor, and the crocodile monitor. Found west of the Great Dividing Range in the arid areas of Australia, it is rarely seen because of its shyness and the remoteness of much of its range from human habitation. Its status in many Aboriginal cultures is evident in the totemic relationships, and part of the Ngiṉṯaka dreaming, as well as bush tucker. It was a favoured food item among desert Aboriginal tribes, and the"
"Roan antelope The roan antelope (""Hippotragus equinus"") is a savanna antelope found in West, Central, East and Southern Africa. It is the namesake of the Chevaline project, whose name was taken from the French ""Antilope Chevaline"". Roan antelope are one of the largest species of antelopes, only Elands, Bongos and large male Kudus can exceed them in weight. They measure from the head to the base of tail and the tail measures . The body mass of males is and of females is . The shoulder of this species is typically around . Named for their roan colour (a reddish"
"in the soil. Perentie The perentie (""Varanus giganteus"") is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia, and the fourth-largest living lizard on earth, after the Komodo dragon, Asian water monitor, and the crocodile monitor. Found west of the Great Dividing Range in the arid areas of Australia, it is rarely seen because of its shyness and the remoteness of much of its range from human habitation. Its status in many Aboriginal cultures is evident in the totemic relationships, and part of the Ngiṉṯaka dreaming, as well as bush tucker. It was a favoured food item among desert Aboriginal"
"Rinca Rinca, also known as Rincah and Rindja, is a small island near Komodo and Flores island, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, within the West Manggarai Regency. It is one of the three largest islands included in Komodo National Park. The island is famous for Komodo dragons, giant lizards that can measure up to long. Rinca is also populated with many other species such as wild pigs, buffalos and many birds. Being less known and less visited than Komodo, it is a good place to see the Komodo dragon in its natural environment with fewer people to disturb them. Day trips"
"restricted range but has a total area of occupancy of more than . It is believed to have a large total population, and although the population is thought to be slightly declining in Uruguay, this is not at a rate sufficiently significant for it to be listed in a more threatened category. Greater guinea pig The greater guinea pig, ""Cavia magna"", is a species of rodent found in the coastal strip of Brazil and Uruguay, where it lives in moist grassland and marshes. A large rodent, the greater guinea pig grows to a total length of and weight of for"
"to help wild populations. Parasites of ""Quasipaa spinosa"" include the ciliate ""Sicuophora multigranularis"". Quasipaa spinosa Quasipaa spinosa is a species of frog in the family Dicroglossidae. It is known under many common names, including Chinese spiny frog, giant spiny frog, Chinese edible frog, and spiny paa frog. Its names refer to the distinctive characteristics of the species, relatively large size and the spiny chest of male frogs. Giant in frog terms only, it can nevertheless grow to lengths above ; this makes it the largest frog in Hong Kong. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have suggested that ""Quasipaa spinosa"" is split"
"Reticulated siren The reticulated siren (""Siren reticulata""), colloquially known as the leopard eel, is a species of aquatic salamander endemic to the southeastern United States, first formally described in 2018. This cryptic salamander is known only from three localities in southern Alabama and the Florida panhandle and is one of the largest animals in the United States to be newly described in the past 100 years. The reticulated siren is one of the largest species of extant (living) salamanders worldwide, reaching up to in total length, which rivals the hellbender of the Appalachian Mountains as both the largest amphibian in"
"and longer than body length. Incisors are orange in color. The Ceylon spiny mouse is an endangered species known only from the following locations. Ceylon spiny mouse The Ceylon spiny mouse (""Mus fernandoni"") is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Sri Lanka, where it is known as ශ්‍රී ලංකා ක‍ටු හීන් මීයා in Sinhala language. Head and body length 9–11 cm. Tail 6–7 cm. Reddish gray above, with gray flat spines (each with 11mm in length) and the reddish hue from the intermixed fine fur. Underparts pure white with lots of long black"
"means thorn pig. Its roots derive from the Latin words ""porcus"" or pig and ""spina"" meaning thorns. Other colloquial names for the animal include quill pig. It is also referred to as the Canadian porcupine or common porcupine. The porcupine's scientific name, ""Erethizon dorsatum"", can be loosely translated as ""the animal with the irritating back"". Several Native American names exist, such as the Lakota name ""pahin"" meaning quill and the Chipewyan name ""ts'l"". The North American porcupine migrated from South America, where all New World porcupines or hystricomorphs evolved. ""Erethizon"" appeared in North America shortly after the two continents joined"
"the capybara, and guinea pigs. Chacoan maras are closely related to the other member of the genus ""Dolichotis"", the Patagonian mara. Maras are the fourth largest rodent in the world after the capybaras, beavers and porcupines . Though the mara may look like a rabbit, the rabbit is not actually a rodent and therefore not as closely related to the mara as one might expect. Chacoan mara The Chacoan mara, Dolichotis salinicola, is a relatively large South American rodent of the cavy family. They are a close relative of the better known Patagonian mara. The Chacoan mara lives in the"
"Hoary marmot The hoary marmot (""Marmota caligata"") is a species of marmot that inhabits the mountains of northwest North America. Hoary marmots live near the tree line on slopes with grasses and forbs to eat and rocky areas for cover. It is the largest North American ground squirrel and is often nicknamed ""the whistler"" for its high-pitched warning issued to alert other members of the colony to possible danger. The animals are sometimes called ""whistle pigs"". Whistler, British Columbia, originally ""London Mountain"" because of its heavy fogs and rain, was renamed after these animals to help make it more marketable"
"Colorado chipmunk The Colorado chipmunk (""Neotamias quadrivittatus"") is a species of rodent in the squirrel family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States. It can be found most often in coniferous forests, woodlands, montane shrub lands, and alpine tundra habitats. This means that in elevation, T. quadrivittatus inhabits anywhere above and below elevation. This western American dweller is the largest of the three species of chipmunks found in the Colorado Front Range (which also include the Least Chipmunk and the Uinta Chipmunk). On average it weighs about . Chipmunks are distinguished from"
"Crested porcupine The crested porcupine (""Hystrix cristata"") is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae found in Italy, North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa. The more common name for this species is the crested porcupine. The adult crested porcupine has an average head and body length around long, discounting the tail, and weighs from . Almost the entire body is covered with bristles which are either dark brown or black and rather coarse. This mammal is recognizable by the quills that run along the head, nape, and back that can be raised into a crest, hence the name crested porcupine."
"Woolly giant rat The woolly giant rat (""Kunsia tomentosus"") is a species of large burrowing rodent native to South America. No subspecies are currently recognised. The woolly giant rat is an exceptionally large rat, the largest living species of sigmodontine rodent, with short limbs and powerful claws. Nonetheless, individuals vary considerably in size, ranging from in head-body length, with a relatively short tail long. Body weight varies from ; no other sigmodontine species has a maximum weight above . The fur is thick and coarse, with an almost uniform shade of dark grey or brown across the whole of the"
"identified by the Institute Armand Frappier in 1978, and Charles River Laboratories has reproduced this breed for research since 1982. Cavy fanciers then began acquiring hairless breeds, and the pet hairless varieties are referred to as ""skinny pigs"". Guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (""Cavia porcellus""), also known as cavy or domestic cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus ""Cavia"". Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family Suidae, nor do they come from Guinea in Africa, and the origin of their name is still unclear;"
"Surprise egg"" of the Italian chocolate company Ferrero SpA. Hippopotamus The common hippopotamus (""Hippopotamus amphibius""), or hippo, is a large, mostly herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (""Choeropsis liberiensis"" or ""Hexaprotodon liberiensis""). The name comes from the ancient Greek for ""river horse"" (). After the elephant and rhinoceros, the common hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are"
"Ctenosaura similis Ctenosaura similis, commonly known as the black spiny-tailed iguana, black iguana, or black ctenosaur, is a lizard native to Mexico and Central America that has been introduced to the United States in the state of Florida. It is the largest species in the genus ""Ctenosaura"" and has been recorded as the fastest-running species of lizard. The black spiny-tailed iguana was first described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1831. The generic name, ""Ctenosaura"", is derived from two Greek words: ""ctenos"" (Κτενός), meaning ""comb"" (referring to the comblike spines on the lizard's back and tail), and ""saura"" (σαύρα),"
"may also be a predator of giant forest hogs, the species are usually segregated by habitat, as African lions do not generally occur in the densely forested habitats inhabited by this suid. Giant forest hog The giant forest hog (""Hylochoerus meinertzhageni""), the only member of its genus, is native to wooded habitats in Africa and generally is considered the largest wild member of the pig family, Suidae; a few subspecies of the wild boar can reach an even larger size. Despite its large size and relatively wide distribution, it was first described only in 1904. The specific name honours Richard"
"a remarkably long time for a rodent. Agouti The term agouti (, ) or common agouti designates several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta. They are native to Middle America, northern and central South America, and the southern Lesser Antilles. Some species have also been introduced elsewhere in the West Indies. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar, but are larger and have longer legs. The species vary considerably in colour, being brown, reddish, dull orange, greyish or blackish, but typically with lighter underparts. Their bodies are covered with coarse hair which is raised when alarmed. They"
"Pink-tongued skink The pink-tongued skink (""Cyclodomorphus gerrardii"") is a genus of lizard in the family Scincidae. It is endemic to Australia. In Australia ""C. gerrardii"" is called commonly the pink-tongued lizard. As suggested by these common names, its distinguishing characteristic is a pink tongue as opposed to the blue tongue of the closely related genus ""Tiliqua"". The specific name, ""gerrardii"", is in honor of British herpetologist Edward Gerrard (1810-1910), who was Gray's ""right-hand man"" at the British Museum. ""C. gerrardii"" is a relatively large lizard of up to total length (including tail). It has a slender body with a long,"
"name Fringillidae comes from the Latin word ""fringilla"" for the common chaffinch (""Fringilla coelebs""), a member of the family which is common in Europe. The name was coined by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1820. The smallest ""classical"" true finches are the Andean siskin (""Spinus spinescens"") at as little as 9.5 cm (3.8 in) and the lesser goldfinch (""Spinus psaltria"") at as little as . The largest species is probably the collared grosbeak (""Mycerobas affinis"") at up to and , although larger lengths, to in the pine"
"the species: Domestic pig The domestic pig (""Sus scrofa domesticus"" or only ""Sus domesticus""), often called swine, hog, or simply pig when there is no need to distinguish it from other pigs, is a domesticated large, even-toed ungulate. It is variously considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species. The domestic pig's head-plus-body-length ranges from , and adult pigs typically weigh between , with well-fed individuals often exceeding this weight range. The size and weight of a hog largely depends on its breed. Compared to other artiodactyls, its head is relatively long, pointed, and free of warts."
"Guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (""Cavia porcellus""), also known as cavy or domestic cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus ""Cavia"". Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family Suidae, nor do they come from Guinea in Africa, and the origin of their name is still unclear; they originated in the Andes of South America and studies based on biochemistry and hybridization suggest they are domesticated descendants of a closely related species of cavy such as ""C. tschudii"", and therefore do not exist naturally in"
"Hippopotamus The common hippopotamus (""Hippopotamus amphibius""), or hippo, is a large, mostly herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus (""Choeropsis liberiensis"" or ""Hexaprotodon liberiensis""). The name comes from the ancient Greek for ""river horse"" (). After the elephant and rhinoceros, the common hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammal and the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigs and other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged"
"work by John H. Boyd, III, a professor of economics. Pigeons and doves exhibit considerable variation in size, ranging in length from , and in weight from to above . The largest species is the crowned pigeon of New Guinea, which is nearly turkey-sized, at a weight of . The smallest is the New World ground dove of the genus ""Columbina"", which is the same size as a house sparrow, weighing as little as . With a total length of more than and weight of almost , the largest arboreal species is the Marquesan imperial pigeon, while the dwarf fruit"