Rodent Facts

* Rats and mice usually live anywhere between six (6) and 36 months.

* Roughly half of all mammal species (2,000 +) are rodents.

* There are approximately 4,000 rodent species divided on the basis of their anatomy into three (3) sell-defined groups, or suborders, and more than 30 families.

* Rodents are the only placental order (except for bats) to reach Australia without human introduction.

* Male and female rats can complete their courting ritual and entire romantic relationship in less than a minute.

* A group of rats is often called a mischief.

* Although certain mice are known for short life spans due to predation, populations are maintained through constant reproduction.

* Rodents are worldwide in distribution and are found in almost every terrestrial and freshwater habitat, from the Arctic Ocean to the hottest deserts.

* Rabbits and hares were once classified as rodents because of their large, chisel-shaped incisors. But, because they are very distinct anatomically and have a long, separate evolutionary history, they are now classified in an order of their own (Lagomaorpha).

source: PEST MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE