Bio of mammals Practical 2 set

Suborder Sciumorpha

mountian beavers and sciuridae (squirrels and chipmunks)

Aplodontidae

mountain beaver

apple-shaped teeth

forests

omnivourus

diurnal and nocturnal

semi fossorial

colonial

Pacific Northwest USA

Sciuridae

tiny infra orbital foreman

turkey leg/fan teeth

large and see-through bullae

very small skull, sciuromorphous

many habitats

 nuts, seeds, bark

most diurnal, some nocturnal

arboreal to semi fossorial

worldwide except for Australia Madagascar and poles

Suborder Caastorimorpha

Pocket gophers and beavers

Geomyidae

small infraorbital foramen

ring-like teeth

parallel upper tooth rows

sciuromorphous

zygomatic plate

fossorial

roots and plants

solitary

North America

Castoridae

beavers

folded teeth

skinny slit for infraorbital foramen

pinky pit between bullae

eat bark and leaves

nocturnal

amphibious

family groups

Northern Europe, Northern Asia, North America

Suborder Anomaluromorpha 

Family Pedetidae

Spring hares

deer hoof teeth

massive IO foramen

hystricomorphous (parallel teeth)

extended nasal

horizontal zygomatic plate

sciurognathous

grasslands

herbivorous

nocturnal

terrestrial, semi-fossorial

live in pairs

sub-saharan Africa

Suborder Myomorpha

jumping mice, old and new world mice/rats

Zapodidae

Jumping mice

Large IO foramen

grey folded teeth

fenestrated angular process

sciurognathous

forests to grasslands

leafy vegetation, seeds, fungi, small insects

nocturnal and crepescular

solitary

saltatorial/bipedal

North America and China

Muridae

Old world rats/mice/gerbils

popcorn teeth, 3 rows of cusps

Myomorphus

omnivorous

many habitats

diurnal, nocturnal, and crepescular

terrestrial

some gregarious, some solitary

All continents except antarctica

Cricetidae

New world Mice/rats/voles/hamsters

Last molar looks weird, bi-serial cusp

Prismatic teeth

pinky nail size bullae

Myomorphous

many habitats

omnivorous

mostly terrestrial

some gregarious, some solitary

North and South America, Europe, and most of Asia

Suborder Hystricidae

porcupines, capybara, guinea pigs

Hystricidae

old world porcupines

island teeth, football skull

deserts to forests

herbivorous

nocturnal and crepuscular

terrestrial, fossorial

solitary to moderately gregarious

Asia and Africa

Erethizontidae

New world Porcupines

bear claw teeth

blocky skull

Hystricomorphous

deserts to forests

mostly herbivorous, some small insects and reptiles

nocturnal

arboreal and terrestrial

usually solitary

North and South America

Caviidae

Massive IO foramen

laminate, pointy teeth (tear drop)

big skull

many habitats, not forests

herbivorous

Diurnal or crepuscular

Terrestrial to amphibious

most are colonial

South America

Hystricomorphous

Greatly enlarged IO foramen

medial masseter is enlarged

Myomorphous

Average sized IO foramen and zygomatic plate

Sciuromorphous

Large zygomatic plate

Sciurus niger

eastern fox squirrel

orange belly

Sciurus carolinensis

Eastern gray squirrel

white belly

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

north American red squirrel

smaller, with white ring around eye

Tamias striatus

regular chipmunk

Glaucomys volans

southern flying squirrel

big eyes

Marmota monax

largest squirrel

woodchuck

Ictidomys tridecemlineatus

13 lined ground squirrel

Castor canadensis

North American beaver

Zapus hudsonius

jumping mice

big long feet on mouse

Erethizon dorsatum

North American porcupine

Rattus norvegicus

brown rat

Mus musculus

brown belly mouse, smaller than a rat

Peromyscus maniculatus

deer mouse

brown top

white belly

wail is as long as its body

Ondatra zibethicus

common muskrat

long thick tail

dark brown fur

Microtus ochrogaster

prairie vole

short tail

large and dark fur

Protogomorphous

infraorbital foramen small and round, no zygomatic plate

Sciurognathous

condition in rodents in which the angular process lines in the same vertical plane as the tooth row

Hystricognathous

condition in rodents in which the angular process lies lateral to the vertical plane of the tooth row