Rodents are small furry animals that are differentiated from other animals by their ever growing incisors. These animals are really good biters and can easily dig up something with their teeth. If population of rodents be counted and a census be done on them, we would come to a conclusion that the population of rodents is much larger than those of human beings on Earth, that is rodents’ population easily surpasses that of human beings. Different kinds of rodents have different habitats, and they lead a life in the nature, while some of these rodents are also domesticated by people around the world. A few of the domesticated rodents are mentioned here.
- Mice
Imagine a white mouse with red eyes in a small basket in your house. Doesn’t it sound amusing? Well it is amusing. Mice, the plural of mouse, make a very good pet. These small pets are not much long, and have beautiful small rounded eyes, a prominent shape of ear resembling a tulip, and a long tail, which helps them balance. These rodents are fun to watch, especially on the running wheel, and are undoubtedly cute animals. But a sad fact for mice owners is the average life expectancy of these rodents is 1-2 years. So they won’t be with you for much longer.
- Rat
Often rats are confused with mice, but their is a difference between these two rodent kinds. Although they have similar appearances, but rats are magnified form of mice, that is they are larger in size. Rats make really good pets if proper socialization is achieved by these rodents. Usually kept in pairs, these rodents are also fun to watch, as they are, in many ways, similar to mice.
- Guinea Pig
Guinea Pigs are larger in size than rats or mice. Although they are named “Guinea Pigs”, but they neither are pigs, nor do they belong to Guinea region of Africa. These rodents are a misnomer, and are known for their tendency to shrink their body like an accordion, when they judge some sort of danger around them. These little rodents like to be hugged, and have a developed mind. They have a tendency to remember their owner, play with them. It is always advised to keep Guinea Pigs in a pair, as they enjoy the company of their own kind, much more than they enjoy the company of other species. These guinea pigs have been domesticated from a long time, and have also been a member of teaching class, as they are used to teach primary students. These are fun to watch, and these are the rodents that popularised and increased the production of running wheels, that is Guinea Pig balls. There is still a discrepancy that whether guinea pigs are rodents or not, but most of the researchers agree to classify them in the class of rodents.
- Hamster
All the rodents have similar appearance. Hamsters also face resemblance with guinea pigs. There are hundreds of species of hamsters, but usually, Syrian Hamsters are domesticated. These Syrian Hamsters are equipped with long or short hair, and come in various colours like Black, White, Golden, Brown etc. These combination of colours make these pets, unique in a crowd. Hamsters are one of a kind, and they don’t enjoy company. They prefer leading an alone life. They prefer staying away from others of their own kind, and also don’t like human touches. But still, they are a rodent that can be domesticated.
Over all, rodents are ideal pets, as they need simple green diet, which is easily available and is not much expensive. They can lead in an open habitat, so a special stable or such thing need not be built for them. They must not be kept in a cage, but must be kept in an open room, that may or may not contain a running round, but it is always fun to watch them. These rodents can be held in hands and they don’t resist much. They are not a danger to humans, as they seldom bite. Their bite is not much dangerous too. So they are a sort of ideal pets, that can be domesticated very easily, but it must be kept in mind that all rodents are not the same. In some rodents, the incisors keep on growing, and they belong to wild nature, so can easily harm the person, if they sense some sort of danger. Rest, rodents are known for their peaceful behavior. House rats are meant as a threat as they act as a carrier of diseases, so rodent control takes care of them. If proper neat and clean rodents are kept in house, then they are not a threat, nor do they carry diseases. So, it is healthy to keep these pets. A point must always be remembered that they don’t produce much sound. The sound produced by them has a low frequency, so if they are suffering from some sort of problem, then the owner need to judge it, as they won’t be able to signal it. Also, they are afraid of human touch at first, but gradually, as the time passes, they grow accustomed to it.