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Rodents are mammals of the order Rodentia, characterized by two pairs of continuously growing incisors, one pair in the upper jaw and one pair in the lower jaw. About forty percent of all species of mammals are rodents, and they are found on all continents except Antarctica. They are the most diversified mammalian order, including mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs and hamsters. There are arboreal, burrowing, and semi-aquatic species. While the largest species, the capybara, can weigh as much as 66 kg (146 lb), many rodents weigh less than 100 g (3.5 oz) and have robust bodies, short limbs and long tails. They use their sharp incisors to gnaw food, defend themselves, and shape their habitat. Most eat seeds or other plant material. Many rodents live in societies with complex forms of communication, and can be monogamous, polygynous or promiscuous. The rodent fossil record dates back to the Paleocene on the supercontinent of Laurasia. (Full article...)
Did you know ...
- ... that opera singer Mariska Aldrich had a prize-winning German shepherd (pictured) who excelled in police-dog competitions?
- ... that Salvadorans have the constitutional right to overthrow their government?
- ... that a medieval treasure hoard was found by a woman digging for worms to use as fishing bait?
- ... that August Wilson completed his ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle only months before his death?
- ... that Manuel Aguirre was the first Jesuit to become a naturalized citizen of Venezuela?
- ... that a steam plant in Alabama complied with emissions regulations simply by building a taller smokestack?
- ... that after founding a press bureau in Bukittinggi, Yunan Nasution was arrested, imprisoned, and upon his release was forbidden from staying there?
- ... that a counterfeit of an Angry Birds spinoff game was removed for containing malware?
- ... that in 2010, a Cool Moose Party candidate campaigned on abolishing the seat he was running for, and received almost 40% of the vote?
In the news
- A magnitude 7.8 earthquake strikes the southern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines, leaving at least 37 people dead (landslide pictured).
- In Albania, the Flamingo Revolution erupts against a proposed tourism development project on the environmentally protected island of Sazan.
- In Myanmar, an explosion at a Ta'ang National Liberation Army base leaves 43 people dead.
- In Twenty20 cricket, the Indian Premier League concludes with Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeating Gujarat Titans in the final.
On this day
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- 1846 – Hamilton, Ontario (skyline pictured) is granted city status by the Parliament of the Province of Canada.
- 1856 – The first company of Mormon handcart pioneers left Iowa City for Salt Lake City, Utah.
- 1920 – The courtesan Wang Lianying was murdered in Shanghai, leading to months of media and literary coverage.
- 1965 – Fighting began between the Viet Cong and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam in the Battle of Đồng Xoài, one of the largest battles in the Vietnam War.
- 2010 – A child suicide bomber attacked a wedding in Nadahan, Afghanistan, killing at least 40 people and injuring at least 70 others.
- Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (d. 1701)
- Sarah Roberts (d. 1913)
- Jackie Mason (b. 1928)
- Pik-Sen Lim (d. 2025)
Today's featured picture
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Westward Ho! is an 1855 British historical novel by Charles Kingsley, set in the Elizabethan era and written in a mock Elizabethan tone. It follows the adventures of Amyas Leigh, who sets sail with Francis Drake and other privateers to the Caribbean, where they battle with the Spanish. Originally targeted at adults, Westward Ho! was deemed suitable for children due to its mixture of patriotism, sentiment and romance, and became a firm favourite of children's literature during the 19th century. It has become less popular in the 21st century because of its anti-Catholicism and its racist attitudes towards indigenous peoples. This photograph shows the cover of an 1899 edition of Westward Ho! published by Frederick Warne & Co., with an illustration of two characters engaging in a sword fight. Illustration credit: possibly Walter Sydney Stacey; restored by Adam Cuerden
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