The term rodent conjures up in many of us images of bothersome rats and mice. Squirrels and chipmunks are usually considered to be cute little furry creatures, but they, too, are rodents. Take this quiz and learn more about this diverse family.
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Question 2 of 21
Since rodents breed swiftly, why have they not overrun the Earth?
They are so small you don't really notice how numerous they are.
Pesticides keep the numbers under control.
They are prey for most flesh-eaters.
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Rodents are the prey of almost all flesh-eating animals.
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Question 3 of 21
Can rodents be beneficial to the fashion world?
Rodents are pests
The fur of certain rodents is prized.
Because they are becoming extinct, rodent fur is no longer used.
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The fur of beavers and muskrats is considered valuable.
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Question 4 of 21
How many teeth do rodents have?
two upper and two lower
three upper and two lower
four upper and four lower
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Unlike other mammals, they have only two upper and two lower teeth.
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Question 5 of 21
How would you characterize the rodents as a group?
widely diverse
some are cute
destructive pests
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Rodents, as a group, are destructive pests, whether in the home or ruining crops in the fields. They also carry various diseases.
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Question 6 of 21
Are all rodents vegetarians?
All are basically vegetarians
Most are, squirrels are an exception.
All rodents eat flesh if it is available.
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Almost all are, except for some, like the squirrel, that also eat smaller animals.
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Question 7 of 21
Many rodents have cheek pouches. What are they for?
carrying food
preventing inedible material from entering stomach
storing air when the swim under water
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The cheek pouches are used for carrying food.
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Question 8 of 21
How many species of rodents are there?
1000
1500
more than 2,000
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There are more than 2,000 species.
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Question 9 of 21
What "dog" is in fact a rodent?
argentine dogo
Alaskan malamute
prairie dog
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The prairie dog is not a canine, but a type of large ground squirrel.
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Question 10 of 21
What prevents a rodent's incisors from growing too long?
Gnawing sharpens and wears down the incisors.
They stop growing at maturity.
Incisors fall out and grow again.
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The gnawing of rodents wears down and sharpens their incisors, keeping them from growing too long.
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Question 11 of 21
Which rodents live on nearly every continent?
moles
porcupines
rats and mice
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Rats and mice live everywhere except Antarctica.
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Question 12 of 21
What rodent is found only in Central and South America?
beavers
capybaras
gophers
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Capybaras live only in Latin America.
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Question 13 of 21
Where does the Eurasian beaver live?
sub-tropical climates of Africa
Australia and Japan
Asia and Europe
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It lives in Europe and Asia.
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Question 14 of 21
What is the size of an average beaver family?
three or four
five or six
seven or eight
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Beavers often live in families of five or six.
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Question 15 of 21
What mouse can leap up to 6 feet (1.8 m)?
kangaroo rat
deer mouse
grasshopper mouse
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The jumper is the kangaroo rat, which is in fact a rodent of the pocket mouse family.
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Question 16 of 21
Is there any similarity between a prairie dog and a real dog?
They both bark to warn of danger.
None - one is a rodent and the other a canine.
Their life spans are identical.
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The prairie dog wags its tail, barks to warn of danger and their young are called pups.
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Question 17 of 21
What is a group of prairie dogs called?
herd
pack
town
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The group is called a town.
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Question 18 of 21
What size can a group of prairie dogs reach?
100
500
700
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The group or town can have more than 500 members.
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Question 19 of 21
Which rodent is a protected species?
beavers
muskrats
squirrels
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Laws in the United States limit the times of year beavers can be hunted.
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Question 20 of 21
Who is the deadliest enemy of rodents?
predatory animals
birds of prey
humans
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Although they are the natural prey of most other animals bigger than they are, man is the rodents' biggest enemy. Farmers kill rodents that damage their crops, hunters kill beavers and householders kill rats and mice.
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Question 21 of 21
With all the dangers they face, are rodents in danger of becoming extinct?
most are
not really
only rats and mice
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Considering how rapidly they multiply, the vast majority faces no danger of extinction.
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