With the exception of Antarctica rodents are found worldwide and account for about 40 percent of all mammals. So it is no big surprise that you would at times see them in your neighborhood. On WaltAbout and in my own neighborhood I have seen my fair share. Rodents got their name from the Latin word rodere which means to gnaw, that is a trademark characteristic of this group of mammals. They have only a single upper and lower pair of rootless incisors that grow non-stop during their entire lifetime. They have to keep the teeth sharp and do a lot of gnawing to get that done. Most of my contacts with rodents have been with squirrel members of the Sciuridae Family.

The Sciuridae Family is the squirrel family with some surprising members that you may not have thought of as squirrels. They go from pint size chipmunks up to about 40 pounds beavers, and they habitat just about everywhere. They can be arboreal, fossorial, or semiaquatic. Some will build nests while others will dig burrows to dens. They feed on seeds, berries, plants, insects and carrion. Red Fox Squirrels, Abert’s Squirrels, Least Chipmunks, and Yellow Bellied Marmots are the Sciuridae species I have seen the most.

Although rodents comprise 40 percent of the mammal population, they are very low on nature’s food chain, which makes them easy prey for predators. Rodents are an important source of food for raptors such as hawks, eagles and owls, and for carnivores including coyotes and fox. Mother Nature has ensured that the balance will remain in the rodents favor in several ways. Many rodents have the ability to communicate with highly developed systems of squeaks and chattering that they use to alert one another if danger is in the air. They will use those sharpened incisor teeth and claws to try to protect themselves. However the biggest advantage that nature has provided to the rodents is the ability to procreate so rapidly. Many rodents produce litters several times a year with with multiple offspring in each litter. Mating habits can go from monogamy to promiscuous.

Another species of rodents that I have seen is the Muridae, commonly known as rats and mice. Among them are Voles a member of the cricetidae family. I have often seen voles become prey to the canine and raptor predators. The Muridae family can carry rabies, the plague and hantavirus which all can be transmitted to humans so I generally do not gravitate to those species. That’s not to say that if I am camera ready I would not take a few shots. Wildlife follows its food source and I use that philosophy to find and observe them while on WaltAbout.