What Is A Rodent?
There are more than 2,000 species, or kinds, of rodents. Beavers are rodents. So are mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, and chipmunks. Gophers and porcupines are rodents, too.
The word rodent comes from a Latin word that means “to gnaw” (naw). A beaver likes to gnaw, or bite, on trees. A squirrel gnaws on hard nuts. A rat can gnaw through many kinds of walls. Gnawing wears down a rodent’s incisors and keeps them from growing too long.
All rodents are part of a larger group of animals called mammals. Mammals are warm-blooded animals whose babies drink their mother’s milk. Mammals also have hair. Most rodents have fur.
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