4 5 21 the truth about rodents (science)

Address requests for permission to make copies of Houghton Mifflin material to School Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Company, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116... Rodents are gross!”

H O U G H T O N M I F F L I N

by Kate Johanns

The Truth About

Rodents

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ISBN-13: 978-0-547-02327-4

ISBN-10: 0-547-02327-8

The Truth About

Rodents

by Kate Johanns

Table of Contents

Nothing Nutty About Squirrels 8

Caring for Your Pet Rodent 12

When you tell a friend that you’re about to read a book about rodents, he or she might say,

“Ewww! Rodents are gross!”

However, the world of rodents is actually

very interesting Once you are familiar with

some of the approximately 1,500 species of

rodents, you’ll find there is a lot to appreciate about these little mammals

Gerbils are a type of

rodent kept as a pet

They grow to be

about 4 inches long.

The World of Rodents

Rodents can be found in nearly every type

of habitat, from prairie to forest to desert Most rodents are nocturnal, which means that they are most active at night, and many are scared

of blaring noises In addition, rodents can grow anywhere from 4 inches to 4 feet long!

All rodents have a pair of incisors in each jaw These teeth continue to grow throughout their life The front of an incisor is covered by

an extra layer of hard material This layer helps the tooth keep its chisel shape as the rodent chews on things

Busy, Busy Beavers

The beaver is the largest rodent found in

North America Most adult beavers weigh

between 40 and 70 pounds They live in family groups near rivers, streams, lakes, and marshes Beavers have large, nearly

hairless tails that they slap

against the water when

they want to warn others

about a predator Their

tails can make quite

a racket!

A beaver’s webbed feet

help it swim and work

underwater.

Beavers have a thick layer of fat that helps them stay warm underwater They make their fur waterproof by coating themselves with an oily substance that their bodies make

Beavers put a lot of effort into building dome-shaped lodges and dams Some dams are

as tall as ten feet Dams offer wetland habitats for many species, but they can also cause

flooding

Beavers use mud and sticks to build their dams.

The Prickly Porcupine

You probably recognize a porcupine by its quills, which are hairs with sharp tips on the

ends The quills are hollow, and they are used

to help porcupines float in water

The main purpose of quills, however, is

protection A porcupine can strike a predator

with its tail Then the quills get stuck in the

predator, and it goes running!

A porcupine may

have as many as

30,000 quills!

Nothing Nutty About Squirrels

The rodent we see most often in the wild is the squirrel There are more than 200 species

of squirrels, including the Indian giant squirrel, which grows to be an amazing 3 feet long

Some types of squirrels are ground, tree,

and flying Squirrels eat caterpillars and insects

in addition to nuts, leaves,

seeds, and roots

Flying squirrels can

be found in many forests across the United States.

The flying squirrel doesn’t really fly It has a loose fold of skin between its arms and legs, which stretches and helps it glide from one tree to another.

Prairie Dog Towns

The prairie dog is a cousin of the ground

squirrel This very social rodent lives in groups called prairie dog towns You’ll find prairie dog towns on short-grassed prairies in the American West Prairie dogs don’t live in areas with long grass because it would make it difficult for them

to spot predators Some species of prairie dogs are considered endangered or threatened

Unlike most rodents, prairie dogs

are most active during the day.

Eek! A Mouse—and a Rat!

Some species of mice and rats are bred to be pets Make sure that your pet mouse or

rat comes from a special breeder, pet store, or rescue group Never touch a wild mouse or rat Pet mice live about two years, and pet rats live about three years If you want a pet mouse, consider what other types of pets you have Rats, ferrets, and cats all prey on mice!

Pet rats are very different from rats found in the wild.

More Pet Rodents

Hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, and chinchillas also make excellent pets

• Hamsters love to collect

food and carry it in

special pouches in their

cheeks They also

perform playful feats on

their exercise wheel

when their favorite humans

enter the room

• Gerbils have poor eyesight,

but their senses of hearing and smell are

highly developed

A chinchilla’s soft fur makes it a fun pet.

Caring for Your Pet Rodent

If you choose to adopt a rodent, here are a few tips for taking care of your new pet:

combination of seeds, grains, and pellets

and clean the cage every week

cage after playtime These pets get lost easily!

your pet has an exercise wheel and can climb around in the cage

handling your rodent

The Truth About Rodents

As you have learned, rodents don’t deserve their bad reputation The 1,500 species of

rodents form a group that includes a wide

variety of animals The next time someone tells you that rodents are gross,

introduce your friend to

some of the interesting

information you’ve

learned about this

fascinating group

of small mammals

Rodents can make

great pets.

Glossary

Endangered At risk of becoming extinct, or no longer existing.

Incisor A front tooth used for cutting.

Prairie A large area of flat land covered by grass.

Predator An animal that eats another animal.

The well-known

groundhog is a

rodent too!

TARGET VOCABULARY Word Builder Many

words have endings added to the end of them

In the word promptly, -ly is added at the end

Think of some other words that have -ly added

to the end of them Copy and complete the

word web below

Write About It

Text to Text Write a paragraph about a book

you have read that describes a pet or animal

and how to take care of it Use two words from the Word Builder in your paragraph.

Words ending with -ly promptly lovely

TARGET VOCABULARY

16

appreciate

blaring

combination

effort

feats

introduce nocturnal promptly racket suggest

TARGET STRATEGY Summarize Briefly tell the important parts of the text in your own words.

What kind of loud noise does a tennis player make?

ISBN-13:978-0-547-02327-4 ISBN-10:0-547-02327-8

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN

Online Leveled Books

Level: R

DRA: 40

Science

Strategy:

Summarize

Word Count: 912