rodents and lagomorphs

Question 1

42% of all mammals, cosmopolitan distribution, diastema, single pair of ever growing incisors for gnawing only anterior surface covered in enamel with beveled tips, complex cheek teeth, large and complex masseter muscles

Answer 1

order rodentia

Question 2

how are suborders of rodents identified?

Answer 2

position of masseter muscles relative to the infraorbital foramen, and position of the angular process on the dentary

Question 3

single species, many ancestral features, located in pacific northwest, only living protrogomorphous rodents with the masseter originating on the ventral zygomatic surface, prefer riparian habitats, construct burrows

Answer 3

suborder sciuromorpha
family aplodontiidae (mountain beavers)

Question 4

tree squirrels and flying squirrels in Pennsylvania

Answer 4

suborder sciuromorpha
family sciuridae

Question 5

small bodies with bushy tails, enlarged infraorbital foramen transmits part of the medial masseter, agile climbers, omnivores

Answer 5

suborder sciuromorpha
family gliridae (dormice)

Question 6

1 genus 2 species, semiaquatic, webbed hind feet and paddle shaped tail, highly insulative fur, nictitating membrane on the eyes, valvular nostrils, found along waterways, build large stick and mud lodges, active in winter, territorial scent markings with castoreum from castor sacs

Answer 6

suborder castorimorpha
family castoridae (beavers)

Question 7

north american, fossorial, sister group to heteromyidae, small pinnae, small eyes, short tail, flat skull, widely flared zygomatic arches, lips close behind incisors, powerful forelimbs for digging

Answer 7

suborder castorimorpha
family geomyidae (pocket gophers)

Question 8

new world, some species highly adapted to deserts via enlarged auditory bullae, elongate hindlimbs allowing bipedal jumping, short neck and long tail used for counterbalance, external fur lined cheek pouches to transport seeds; herbivores or granivores, nocturnal taking refuge in burrows during the day, ability to highly concentrate urine, foot drumming and seismic communication, convergent with old world jerboas

Answer 8

suborder castorimorpha
family heteromyidae (kangaroo rats, pocket mice, spiny mice)

Question 9

old world semiarid regions, saltatorial locomotion in some, enlarged auditory bullae in arid adapted species convergent with kangaroo rats, some live in burrows, are nocturnal and granivorous; some are boreal, omnivorous, some hibernate in the winter

Answer 9

suborder myomorpha
family dipodidae (jerboas and birch mice)

Question 10

old world, compact and stoutly build, small eyes, absent pinnae, short tail, robust skull,

Answer 10

suborder myomorpha
family spalacidae (blind mole rats, african wood rats, bamboo rats and zokors)

Question 11

2nd largest family of mammals, occupy much of the globe from tundras to deserts,

Answer 11

suborder myomorpha
family cricetidae (new world rats and mice)

Question 12

nearly worldwide distribution, typically rat or mouse like in body form, deep masseter passes through dorsal infraorbital foramen

Answer 12

suborder myomorpha
family muridae (rat and mouse like mammals)

Question 13

tropical western and central Africa, gliding membranes attached by cartilaginous rods, highly arboreal, keeled scales on the tail

Answer 13

suborder anomaluromorpha
family anomaluridae (scaly tailed squirrels)

Question 14

east and southern Africa, saltatorial, up to 4kg

Answer 14

suborder anomaluromorpha
family pedetidae (springhare)

Question 15

northern African, small compact short tailed rodents, herbivorous, bask on rocky outcrops

Answer 15

suborder hystricomorpha
family ctenodactylidae (gundis)

Question 16

large stocky rodents with sharp stiff spines that cannot be thrown

Answer 16

suborder hystricomorpha
family hystricidae

Question 17

sub Saharan Africa, highly fossorial with small eyes, poor vision, highly reduced or absent pinnae, procumbent incisors, herbivorous

Answer 17

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder phiomorpha
family bathyergidae

Question 18

1 species, Southwestern Africa, small rodents, seek shelter in narrow crevices, flattened skull, flexible ribs, lateral mammae, diurnal and herbivorous

Answer 18

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder phiomorpha
family petromuridae (petromus typicus)

Question 19

2 species, sub Saharan Africa, blunt snout and robust skull, inhabit areas near water, used for food in Africa

Answer 19

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder phiomorpha
family thryonomyidae (cane rats)

Question 20

new world, barbed quills cover most of the body, robust skull, more arboreal, eat cambium layer of trees in the winter

Answer 20

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family erethizontidae (new world porcupines)

Question 21

southern half of South America, densly furred, inhabit open plains to brush lands, diurnal, some highly cursorial

Answer 21

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family chinchillidae (chinchillas)

Question 22

west to central South America, long dense pelage, long skull with narrow rostrum, enlarged bullae

Answer 22

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family abrocomidae (chinchilla rats)

Question 23

single species, foothills of the Andes, Rare, likely nocturnal, brown pelage with white spots

Answer 23

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family dinomyidae (Dinomys branickii)

Question 24

typically stocky with short limbs, complex social systems, includes largest living rodent

Answer 24

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family Caviidae (guinea pigs and capybaras)

Question 25

neotropical, up to 2kg, slim limbs, 4 toed forefeet and 3 toed hindfeet, hoof like claws, short tails

Answer 25

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family dasyproctidae (agoutis)

Question 26

up to 12kg, central Mexico to southern Brazil, short legs with blunt heads, resonating chambers in maxillaries, nocturnal herbivores, prefer riparian habitats

Answer 26

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family Cuniculidae (pacas)

Question 27

between 100-700g, fossorial adaptations convergent with pocket gophers, southern 2/3 of South America

Answer 27

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family ctenomyidae (tuco-tucos)

Question 28

West coast of south America, 200-300g, large ears eyes and long vibrissae, occupy burrows and rocky crevices, some colonial species

Answer 28

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family octodontidae (degus)

Question 29

neotropical, flattened spine like hairs, prominent eyes and ears, tail can be lost to escape predators, arboreal terrestrial or semifossorial

Answer 29

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family echimyidae (spiny rats)

Question 30

1 species native to southern South America, resemble beavers with rat tails, good swimmers with webbed feet, hypsodont cheekteeth, invasive species in US

Answer 30

suborder hystricomorpha
inforder caviomorpha
family myocastoridae (nutria)

Question 31

west indies, 6 recently extinct species, weigh up to 7kg, thick furred rodents similar to the nutria, unable to cope with the introduction of the mongoose to the west Indies

Answer 31

suborder hystricomorpha
infaorder caviomorpha
family capromyidae (Hutias)

Question 32

100-150g, short ears and limbs, no visible tail, fenestrated skull with arched profile, inhabit montane areas, seek shelter among rocks, store large hay piles for winter months

Answer 32

order lagomorpha
family Ochotonidae (pikas)

Question 33

nearly csomopolitan distribution, fenestrated skull, 2 pairs of upper incisors, hypsodont cheek teeth, cursorial locomotion

Answer 33

order lagomorpha
family leporidae