Nifty Rodents by Fun For Kidz

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Activities: 4 The World’s Largest Rodent Puzzles: 2, 8, 9 6 It’s a Beautiful Drey Cartoons & Rodent Riddles: 7 Max & Gracie Paper Mouse Craft: 15 10 Prickly Porcupines 13 Punxsutawney Phil’s Other Skills Science: 25 Puzzle Solutions: 30 14 Mice Are Nice 16 10 Nifty Facts About Rodents 18 A Different Kind of Dog 19 Bouncing Rodents 20 Pet in a Pocket 23 Just Call Me Rock Chuck! 24 A Hamster in the Wild 26 The Great Hamsterini 27 The Vole and the Mole Rat 28 Chipper, Chirping Chipmunks

by Kerrily Sapet

The largest rodents in the world have webbed feet and love the water. The capybara is related to the guinea pig, but you wouldn’t know it by its size. These big rodents grow to be four feet long and about two feet tall. They’ll weigh between 110 to 150 pounds full grown. Deb Copeland is an animal keeper at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. She knows a lot about the capybaras that live there. Capybaras are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. Copeland cuts tall grasses for them to chew on. In the zoo, they eat tree leaves, corn, alfalfa, and herbivore food. It’s like guinea pig chow. To keep their always-growing teeth short, rodents gnaw constantly. At the zoo, when the capybaras’ teeth get too long, the animals hook them on their cages and break their teeth shorter. Capybaras live longer in zoos than they do in the wild. “Three or four years is a long life for a capybara in the wild,” Copeland says. Capybaras are from marshes and other wet areas in South America. There, they run, jump, and dive in the water to avoid jaguars and people. Crocodiles lurk in the water. People eat capybara meat and make necklaces from their teeth.

In the zoo, capybaras seem friendly. Copeland makes scratching motions with her hands when she sees them. They walk over for a back scratch. “Capybaras are very social animals,” she says. In the wild, they live with their families in large herds. Sometimes, however, the capybaras want to be left alone. “You have to watch their body language. Gnashing their teeth is an aggressive sound.” Copeland is amazed by their noises. “They squeak and click.” At one time, the Zoo had baby capybaras, but babies don’t live there now. In zoos and in the wild, mother capybaras call their babies with a series of clicks. They also share their babies. “They have babysitters,” Copeland says. “Daddies don’t help much raising the babies.” Instead, the males stand guard. “They are so cute when they are little,” Copeland says. “People see them and want them as pets. They are wild animals,” she says. “I wouldn’t want one. It would spend its time in the bathtub!” The best way to enjoy these “giant guinea pigs” is to visit them at your local zoo.

Do you want to know more about the world’s largest rodent? Check out these capybara facts: There were prehistoric capybaras that weighed eight times as much as capybaras weigh now. These are now extinct. Capybaras are active in the early mornings and at sunset. During the heat of the day, they spend their time resting. Their eyes, ears, and noses are high up on their heads. This helps them to see and breathe while swimming.

You can see the adult capybara’s webbed feet in this photo.

The scientific name for capybara means “water pig.” When they were first discovered, people didn’t know they were rodents. When capybaras are fully grown, their hair does not cover all of their body. To avoid sunburn, they spend lots of time in the water or resting in shade. They even roll around in mud (like pigs) to keep cool!

by Régine Frank What on earth are those messy balls of leaves stuck in some treetops? Watch carefully, and you might see their builders scamper up into one. They’re called “dreys,” and they’re the nests of tree squirrels. Tree squirrels prefer to nest in hollow trees, especially in winter or when raising a litter. But where hollows are scarce, they build themselves a drey or two. Tree squirrels start by nipping twigs off trees while the leaves are still green. That way, when the leaves dry, they stay on the twig and add body to the nest. The squirrel chooses a fork in the branches at least 20 feet up and often higher. It may be near the trunk or on more slender branches. This makes it hard for predators, like raccoons, to reach. Once the squirrel chooses a spot, it weaves a base of twigs and fills in the spaces with clumps of moss and damp leaves to form a solid platform. It builds up and over this platform to make a hollow sphere about a foot wide. Then it stuffs the gaps with more dry leaves. Finally, the squirrel lines the inside with shredded leaves and grasses, leaving a space only big enough for one or two squirrels to curl up in. The size of a drey depends on the size of the squirrel. Smaller species build smaller dreys. Some squirrels use grasses, shredded bark, pine needles, or lichen, instead of leaves, to build their nests. Whatever they’re made of, dreys always have the main entrance at the bottom, to keep out rain, and sometimes a second emergency exit. One squirrel may build and use several dreys at once. But aren’t they cold in winter? This fall, try this: Cover yourself up to your chin in a pile of dry leaves. What do you notice? That you feel warm! Dry leaves and grasses keep in the heat and keep out moisture. Dreys are snug, even in wet, cold, or windy weather. Now gaze up at the treetops around your neighborhood and imagine curling up in a cozy drey and being rocked to sleep by the 6 swaying of the branches.

Portland, Maine 4:26 PM Intermittent rain Max and Gracie and their owners, Linda, Craig, and their seven-year-old son, Ed, are driving the back roads of America. Perhaps you have seen Max and Gracie with their heads out the window. If not, here is a letter describing their most recent adventure.

so horrible. entire life have I witnessed anything my in re befo er nev that say just Let me ks. Its long from between rocks down by the doc This morning a water rat crawled out , and even and forth. Its slick black hair was wet k bac ered slith tail its d, tche twi rs whiske ll it. Not a pleasant smell. Ugh! though I was five feet away, I could sme go, but across the rocks. I was glad to see it ran it me, and cie Gra saw it as n As soo only goal was to r it. I barked, but she didn’t care. Her surprised to find Gracie running afte catch the rat. not helping motion was about. I have to admit to Ed came over to see what all the com ted in place, re near that rat. I remained firmly plan matters because I wasn’t going anywhe chase was the ed and told Gracie to leave it alone, but barking. When Ed saw the rat, he yelp , Gracie was . The rat crossed over to the right side on. The rat went left, Gracie went left s. t into hiding, squeezing in between rock right on his tail. Finally, the rat wen Even now, as Gracie snores beside me, I can smell that rat, and it’s not pleasant. She said she had a nifty time. That Gracie!

Max 7

by Guy Belleranti

Can you find the 14 rodents hidden in the puzzle? Circle each one, then write the remaining letters in the boxes to spell a big rodent fact. BEAVER CHINCHILLA CHIPMUNK GERBIL GUINEA PIG HAMSTER LEMMING

MOUSE MUSKRAT PORCUPINE RAT SQUIRREL VOLE WOODCHUCK

A B E A V E R T E

L E M M I N G R N

L H S R L E U O T

I E Q A R E I T W

H C U B E S N A O

C A I I T U E R O

N L R S S O A K D

I P R T M M P S C

H Y E E A R I U H

C B L H H G G M U

T O A E A E S D C

V C H I P M U N K

E N I P U C R O P

Big Rodent Fact:

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Agoutis are rodents from the tropical Americas. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re unusual because they have five toes on their front feet, but only three toes on their hind feet. They have the amazing ability to open Brazil nuts without a tool. They use their big teeth and strong jaws. Fill in the squares so that each row, column, and 7-square section has the letters A-G-O-U-T-I-S.

G O S

I G

A U

T U

O G

O I S I

by Beverly Wince

Can you unscramble the names of the rodents below? Example: RIPEARI OGD is PRAIRIE DOG

1. ART 2. USOME 3. QILRUSER 4. ODOW KHCCU 5. TARSMUK 6. STRAMHE 7. KUMPCHIN 8. PROGHE 9. BILGER 10. AGINUE GIP 11. VAREBE 12. PROPINUCE

by Evelyn B. Christensen

Emily, Grace, Matthew, and Tyler each have a different pet rodent. Each pet is a different number of years old. Use the clues to decide which pet belongs to each kid and the pet’s age.

1. Nobody has a pet that starts with the same letter as their name. 2. Grace’s pet is two years older than Tyler’s and one year older than the mouse. 3. The guinea pig’s age is the sum of the hamster’s and gerbil’s ages. If you’d like, use the grid to eliminate possibilities. Put an “x” in a box if you know a name or pet doesn’t go with a particular age or if a name doesn’t go with a pet. Put an “o” if it does.

gerbil

guinea pig

hamster

mouse

Emily Grace Matthew Tyler 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years

by Kris MacLeod

In the puzzle below, find the name of these unique rodents. Circle each word as you find it. The words are hidden horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Then beginning with the top row, and working left to right, place the remaining letters in the spaces provided to learn an interesting fact about these cool critters. R S Q U

R R E L O D S E N

R V T L

B R E G S P L G I

A T O M R A M D U R V T N B T C E L E V R E E H H W E N I

R A Y

I H N N R O W M A

U M J E G R E D B O M V

I N T H U H E L A E R O E E P C I O A S O N P G E D L R U H A R E M K A C I

U J C R T

E H D E S R G O P H E R

R L X E C E P T A T A U S N O L K C O Y P U E T T C U A P A R C A P Y B A R A K O C N T

K N U M P

I H C C M A

RAT JIRD Did you know: VOLE DEGU ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ HUTIA COYPU ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ MOUSE GERBIL ___ ___ ___ ___ ___, ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ BEAVER ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___! JERBOA MARMOT GOPHER LEMMING MUSKRAT HAMSTER CAPYBARA CHIPMUNK SQUIRREL WOODCHUCK PORCUPINE SPRINGHARE GUINEA PIG CHINCHILLA NAKED MOLE-RAT 9

“Mom, how come we don’t have balloons at my birthday party?”

From a distance, a porcupine’s fur looks soft and shaggy. But you know better. Porcupines do have soft hair, but it is mixed in with lots of pointy, sharp quills. Only the belly has no quills. The quills lie flat until a porcupine feels threatened. Then – surprise! – they spring up, letting predators know that this is not an animal to mess around with. It’s a myth that porcupines can shoot their quills. The quills do come out easily when touched, though. Porcupines grow new quills to replace the ones they lose. Did you know that these rodents are good climbers? They spend a good deal of their time in trees. Their sharp claws help them climb. Some porcupine species have long tails that allow them to grip tree limbs. This makes it easy to shimmy up a tree. Porcupines make many different sounds, including grunts, coughs, and shrieks. If you are ever out in the woods and hear a strange animal call, look up. You may see a porcupine watching you from a leafy tree branch!

written and illustrated by Neal Levin

I caught a little porcupine.

He’s easy to take care of,

He’s funny and he’s faithful,

I thought it would be cool

As I’d naturally assumed.

But there’s one thing I regret.

To have a spiffy, spiky pet To show my friends at school.

He doesn’t need to be protected, The downside is that he’s the only Trimmed, or even groomed.

Pet that can’t be pet.

by Carrie Schmeck We asked Sharon Clay of Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, California, to tell us how she trains her porcupine, Spike. What works for porcupines can work for your hamster, dog, or cat. 1. Bond. Build trust with the animal. Spend lots of time with her. Be calm. Talk gently. Let the animal approach you and sniff you. Offer treats for no reason. 2. Treat. Figure out what your pet likes for treats. Sharon gave Spike a variety of food (like pieces of pumpkin, grapes, and celery) and watched what she ate first. That became the treat reward. 3. Remove the treat. Once you have identified the reward food, remove it from your pet’s diet so she will want it as a reward.

4. Bridge. Connect treats with a behavior you want from your pet. To train Spike to come to the center of the stage, Sharon uses a “target pole,” a stick with a tennis ball on the end. When Spike sniffs the target pole, Sharon says, “Good,” and gives a reward. This action is repeated again. And again. Eventually, Spike remembers that it’s good to go to the target pole. 5. Cue. Add hand cues with the target pole to signal when the animal should perform. Spike learned that certain hand cues led to rewards, even after the target pole was taken away. Be consistent and patient when training any animal. We might not get to train a real porcupine, but we can try Spike’s lessons on our own pets!

by Guy Belleranti

What do you call a rat that likes small boats?

answer: a ROWdent

How do you know a mouse is a smart animal?

answer: because it works with computers

by T o

ny C

alve

ore

B by Joe

“You have no idea as to the havoc that we’re causing those golfers.” as om Th

by B i

ll &

Bo b

“Is it unlucky to have a black cat cross your path?” “Only if you are a mouse.”

by H

enry Boye

“I’ll go get my mom. Who’s squeaking, please?”

“OK, now, say cheese!”

llo

Punxsutawney Phil’s Other Skills

by Ellen L. Ramsey

roundhogs are nifty rodents. They even have G a day named for them. On Groundhog Day (February 2nd), at Gobbler’s Knob, in a town called

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, thousands of people gather to see Punxsutawney Phil make his weather prediction. “Will he see his shadow or will he not?” “Will there be six more weeks of winter?” Is Phil a good weather forecaster? Not particularly. Phil’s Groundhog Day predictions are right about one third of the time. But Phil and other groundhogs have many other skills. They are superior gnawers, diggers, and whistlers. They even climb trees! Groundhogs’ strong teeth are perfectly equipped for gnawing. Their incisors (front teeth) grow about a sixteenth of an inch a week. To keep them short and sharp, groundhogs need to gnaw. If they don’t gnaw, their teeth would grow so long that they would penetrate the other side of the jaw. Using their impressive teeth, groundhogs feast on clover, dandelions, alfalfa, garden vegetables, and fruits. Groundhogs can grasp a blade of grass, a flower bud, or an acorn with their front paws and eat it like a banana or an apple. Because of their enormous

appetites, groundhogs are not popular with farmers or backyard gardeners. Groundhogs have strong front claws. They are so good at digging that they often dig two burrows – a summer home and a winter home. A burrow, or den, often has several entrances and exits. Burrows may have tunnels 30 to 40 feet long. Sometimes, dens will be used by several generations of groundhogs, with each generation enlarging or changing the den, adding chambers and entrances or exits. When groundhogs are excited or alarmed, they make a shrill whistling sound. When they are in a hurry, they waddle like a pig. Thus, they’ve earned the nickname “whistle-pigs.” In spite of their name, groundhogs do climb trees, both to avoid predators and to munch on tree leaves. On Groundhog Day, check out Punxsutawney Phil’s weather prediction, but don’t put away your winter jackets based on his prediction. Instead, during spring, summer, and fall, keep an eye out for a waddling rodent. Hopefully, you’ll see a groundhog munching on grass or clover and not your favorite garden vegetables.

Mice are furry little rodents that are found almost everywhere in the world. These little animals are full of curiosity. They will squeeze through any tiny hole or crack they can find in a building just to see what is there. There are many different kinds of mice. They look similar but have unique differences. For example, deer mice have white underbellies and very large eyes. A white-footed mouse also has a white underbelly, and its feet are white too. The striped field mouse has a dark stripe running down its back. The common house mouse is the best-known mouse. Sometimes, house mice are kept as pets. You might wrinkle your nose and say Ewww, but these little rodents actually make good four-legged friends.

deer mouse

Mice are super-adaptable, which means they can live in woods, fields, deserts, and even cold areas. Here are more reasons why mice are quite nice. • Mice are very tidy and organized. In their underground homes, they have rooms for storing food, sleeping, and other activities. Mice usually leave their homes only at night. • They communicate with each other by using facial expressions. Mice also use sounds and odors to communicate. Some vocal calls are so high pitched that people can’t hear them.

striped field mouse

• Their sense of balance is so good, they can walk on a thin rope or wire. They use their whiskers to help feel the surfaces they walk along. • Mice eat 15 to 20 times a day, so they make their homes where they know there is lots of food around. In the wild, they eat all kinds of fruits and grains. • They have excellent hearing and a good sense of smell. This helps make up for their eyesight, which is not very good. Remember the nursery rhyme Three Blind Mice? In the wild, mice have a large number of predators, including cats, dogs, snakes, foxes, and owls. It’s a good thing they are very nimble and can scurry away quickly!

white-footed mouse

by Anne Renaud Recycle an old magazine into this whimsical mouse, and use it as a note holder, mail holder, photo holder, or simply as a decoration for your room or desk.

What You Do: Open your magazine, and fold the bottom edge and corner of the first page along the center crease of the magazine. See photo 1.

What You Need: ›› old magazine

›› glue stick or glue gun and glue sticks

›› scissors

›› black and white craft paper or fun foam

›› pom-pom

›› sturdy cardboard

›› chenille stems

Then fold the page in two by lining up the top corner of the page with the top of the center crease of the magazine. See photo 2. Fold all remaining pages the same way as with the first page.

Using a sturdy piece of cardboard, cut out the shape of your finished mouse. Glue the mouse to the cardboard. See photo 3.

For eyes, cut out two large circles and two smaller circles from black and white craft paper or fun foam, then glue into place. For whiskers and nose, cut two chenille stems in two, then twist together. Glue into place along with the pom-pom nose. For tail, glue a chenille stem into place. For feet, cut out feet shapes from black craft paper or fun foam, and glue into place. See photo 4.

Add photos, notes, or cards.

by Sue Gagliardi What kind of dog makes its home under the ground? These mammals eat grass, seeds, roots, and leafy A prairie dog! These small rodents are members of the plants. They don’t store food in burrows, so they squirrel family. Their relatives include chipmunks, spend much of their day on the lookout for their next ground squirrels, and tree squirrels. The prairies and meal. Prairie dogs work together to gather and share plateaus of western North America are their natural food with the rest of their family group. habitat. Prairie dogs have lots to say! These very social Prairie dogs like to dig – and dig and dig! They live in underground burrows called “towns.” A town can stretch for miles and have hundreds of prairie dogs living there. Towns are divided into neighborhoods called “wards,” which are further divided into family groups called “coteries.” The wards are connected by a complex system of tunnels leading to sleeping burrows, bathroom burrows, and even nursery burrows for baby prairie dogs. “Pups” are born hairless, and their eyes are closed. They are ready to venture out from the darkness into the brightness of the world above them when they are six weeks old. At about one year old, prairie dogs go out on their own and find new homes in abandoned tunnels or by digging new tunnels. Young prairie dogs are playful, affectionate little animals and love to kiss and nuzzle each other.

animals use different calls – yips, growls, chatters, barks, and chirps – to communicate different things. When predators, such as hawks, coyotes, and snakes pose a danger, prairie dogs alert others in their wards with a shrill warning call followed by a series of loud barks – about 40 barks per minute! Working together, they make sure all the prairie dogs in the town get to their burrows safely. When it’s safe, the whole town will jump up into the air and start yipping to communicate that the danger has passed. You may be lucky enough to see prairie dogs in their natural habitat or perhaps at a zoo. They’ll entertain you with their playful antics and disappearing acts as they pop in and out of their holes. Watch closely. You just might catch a glimpse of this very different kind of dog!

by David Brown

On a trip to the desert, you climb a sand dune and take in the view around you. You see cactus and desert wildflowers. A raven flies overhead. A small animal hops across the dune. It has a long tail and big feet. “It’s a kangaroo!” you shout. You then realize that you aren’t in Australia. You see that the “kangaroo” is the size of a mouse. What is going on here? You are looking at a kangaroo rat. Kangaroo rats are rodents that live in the deserts and other dry habitats of western North America. Their back legs are long and built for jumping, just like a kangaroo’s legs. There are about 20 different kinds of kangaroo rat. The giant kangaroo rat, the largest species, lives in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Despite its name, it’s only about six inches long. It is now an endangered species because most of its habitat has been transformed into farms and cities. Scientists and wildlife agencies are trying to increase giant kangaroo rat numbers. Kangaroo rats live in burrows they dig in sandy soils. They spend most of their days underground

and spend their nights outside, hopping around looking for food. Their nocturnal behavior lets them sit out the hottest parts of the days in their arid homes. These animals mostly eat the seeds of grasses and other plants. They gather seeds and store them in their burrows or bury them near the burrow entrance. These stores of seeds are called “caches.” A kangaroo rat may sometimes defend its caches from other kangaroo rats trying to steal them. If a kangaroo rat gets its seed cache stolen, it is losing not only its food, but its water too. Kangaroo rats do not have to drink! They get all their water from the seeds and vegetation they eat. Not only do kangaroo rats have to worry about eating – they have to worry about not being eaten. Badgers, coyotes, kit foxes, owls, and rattlesnakes all eat kangaroo rats. The seven- to eight-foot leap of the kangaroo rat is useful for escaping predators. The next time you are in the deserts of North America and see something bounce by you, you will know that you aren’t imagining things.

kangaroo rat tracks

by Heather Klassen • illustrated by Ginny Pruitt

Kayla glanced toward the open door again. Come on, Mom, she silently urged. You have to make it in time. “Kayla,” Maria said, approaching her, “I thought you were bringing a hamster to the show.” “I am,” Kayla replied, looking around the room crowded with kids and hamster cages. “I mean, my mom is bringing my hamster. She should have been here by now.” “Come look at mine,” Maria said, grabbing Kayla’s arm and practically pulling her across the room. Maria stopped in front of a large cage filled with exercise wheels, plastic tunnels, and one large hamster. “This is Angie,” Maria said, reaching into the cage to lift out her hamster. Angie was covered with long, silky white and brown fur. “She’s an angora hamster,” Maria explained. “It’s also called a long-haired hamster. I have to groom her a lot, but I know she’s going to win the prize for most beautiful fur.”

“I’m sure my hamster will win a prize too,” Kayla said. “Does your hamster have more beautiful fur than mine?” Maria asked. “Not exactly,” Kayla replied. Just then Jacob joined the girls at Maria’s cage, a hamster cradled in his arms. “Meet Tiger,” he said. Kayla stared at the enormous dark brown hamster. “He’s huge,” she finally said. “Thirteen inches,” Jacob said proudly. “That’s about as big as hamsters can get. I’m sure that Tiger will win the prize for largest hamster.” Jacob paused and looked at Kayla. “Where’s your hamster, Kayla?” he asked.

“My mom’s bringing him,” Kayla explained, glancing at the clock. I hope, she thought. “I know Fuzzy will win a prize too,” she added.

“Is your hamster bigger than Tiger?” Jacob asked. “Not exactly,” Kayla answered. She didn’t want to tell her friends what made Fuzzy so special – not yet, anyway. “Come look at Chen’s hamster,” Jacob said. “She’s really neat.” Kayla and Maria followed Jacob to Chen’s cage. Chen was filling the food dish with a mixture of seeds and nuts. “You’ll get a crispy piece of lettuce after you win your prize,” Chen told his hamster, now nibbling on a sunflower seed. Chen’s hamster was a light sandybrown color with a white band running across her back, meeting the white fur on her underbelly. “I’ve never seen a hamster like that,” Kayla said. “They’re rather unusual,” Chen explained. “Sandy’s a whitebanded hamster. There are no other white-banded hamsters in the show. I’m sure Sandy will win the most unusual coloring award.”

“My hamster will win a prize, too,” Kayla said, “if he ever gets here.” Kayla glanced nervously at the clock. The judging would begin soon. Where could Mom and Fuzzy be? “Does your hamster have really unusual coloring?” Chen asked. “Not exactly,” Kayla replied. “Then what prize are you going for, Kayla?” Maria asked. “You said your hamster doesn’t have the most beautiful fur, the most unusual coloring, and isn’t the largest. What makes your hamster special?” “You’ll see,” Kayla replied, hoping that Mom would arrive so she could show Fuzzy off to her friends. Finally, her mother rushed through the door, holding Fuzzy’s cage. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she called as Kayla hurried toward her. “The traffic was terrible.” “That’s OK, Mom,” Kayla said. “You made it just in time.” Kayla set Fuzzy’s cage down onto a table. Her mom headed across the room to talk to friends. “Fuzzy,” Kayla called softly, “are you OK?”

Maria, Jacob, and Chen crowded around Kayla’s cage. “Show us your hamster,” Maria said. “We’ve been waiting to see what’s so special about him.” “He’s right there,” Kayla said, pointing to a corner of the cage. “Where?” Jacob asked, crowding in even closer. “I can’t see anything except litter.” “There he is,” Chen suddenly exclaimed. “He just moved.” “He’s so cute and tiny,” Maria said. “Kayla, is your hamster a baby?” “No,” Kayla replied, reaching into the cage to gently lift Fuzzy out. She put Fuzzy onto the palm of her hand. “Fuzzy’s a dwarf hamster,” she said, stroking the black strip that ran down Fuzzy’s back. “They are only two to four inches long full grown.” Kayla slipped Fuzzy into her shirt pocket. An instant later, Fuzzy peeked over the edge of the pocket. “Fuzzy might not be the most beautiful or the largest hamster or have the most unusual coloring,” Kayla said. “But I’ll bet he’s the only one who can fit comfortably in a pocket.” “The judges are coming,” Chen noticed. Her friends hurried to their cages. Kayla put Fuzzy back into his cage and was standing beside it as the judges arrived. “Oh, a dwarf hamster,” one of the judges said. “I haven’t seen one of these for years.”

Kayla watched as the judges wrote something down on their clipboards. It seemed to take forever for the judges to finish their rounds and then consult with each other. Finally, the judges gathered up the ribbons and started back around the room. Kayla clapped as Maria’s hamster won the prize for the most beautiful fur. She cheered as Jacob’s hamster won the largest hamster award. She clapped again as Chen’s hamster received the ribbon for most unusual coloring. Then the judges stopped in front of Kayla’s cage. “We’ve decided to make a new judging category just for your hamster,” a judge told Kayla, handing her a ribbon. “Most unique hamster. Congratulations!” Kayla smiled as she attached the ribbon to Fuzzy’s cage. “I just knew you’d win a prize,” she said, reaching in to get Fuzzy. Kayla popped Fuzzy into her pocket, and together they took off to visit the rest of the hamsters in the show. “We’ll go see all the large, beautiful hamsters,” Kayla told Fuzzy. “But I’ll always know you’re the most special hamster. You’re the only pet in a pocket in the entire show.”

by Diane Winebar My real name is yellow-bellied marmot, but I like my nickname. I think it suits me. When people first saw us in frontier times, we reminded them of woodchucks. And we lived among big rocks and boulders. Now you know how we got our nickname. Take a look at my long, bushy tail. What other animal does it remind you of? If you said a squirrel, you’re right. We are the largest member of the squirrel family. But we’re much bigger than any squirrel you know. Yellow-bellied marmots can be nearly 30 inches long, head to tail. We are sturdy, stocky rodents. Our fur is yellow to brown in color. We have yellowish patches on the sides of our neck, and our bellies are yellowish too. We have a patch of white fur around our nose and mouth and sometimes between our eyes. Every summer, we lose our fur and then grow it all back. My claws are short and curved Yellow-bellied marmots like me make our homes and very sharp. They help with digging and climbing in the mountains of the western United States and those big rocks. Canada. We like living in rocky areas with tall grasses all around. We dig burrows under rocks because predators are less likely to find us there. We dig three different burrows: one for our home, one to use as a hiding place from our enemies, and one to use when it’s time to hibernate. Sometimes, though, we just use the same burrow for all our activities. Our burrows have entrances, lots of tunnels, and emergency exits. When it comes to food, we eat huge amounts of grasses, flowers, and flowering plants. In the summer, we eat lots of seeds. We fatten up during the spring and summer so we can hibernate from September through May. We live in colonies and spend time playing together and grooming each other. We communicate with each other using whistles, screams, and teeth chattering. When we’re not hibernating or looking for food, you can find us sitting or lying on rocks and enjoying the sun. Yes, I’m a yellow-bellied marmot, but you can just call me “Rock Chuck.”

The sun is setting and the hot day is cooling down. A Syrian hamster pokes his head out of his underground burrow. He blinks once, then twice. He must find out if another animal is nearby, but hamsters have weak eyesight. So the little hamster sniffs the air and listens carefully for sounds. An animal as small as he is must be careful. Our little friend feels safe, so away he scampers across the field. “Hammy” explores his surroundings, always looking out for danger. Are you surprised that Hammy lives outdoors and not in a cage in someone’s home? Hamsters make good pets because they are easy to care for, and they like people. In fact, hamsters get along better with people than with other hamsters. Kids love them because they are so cute and playful. But many hamsters live in places that are warm and dry. Desert areas, sand dunes, and grasslands are home. Hammy’s thick, silky fur is a golden-brown color. A hamster’s coat can be black, gray, white, brown, yellow, red, or a combination of these colors. It depends upon what kind of hamster it is. Hamsters have short tails, small ears, and stubby legs. They look like miniature teddy bears! Syrian hamsters are about five inches long. Some hamster species are larger than Hammy and others are smaller. For hamsters, nighttime is activity time. In his burrow, Hammy digs tunnels, grooms himself, and rearranges his bedding and food piles. When Hammy is out at night, he looks for things to eat. He fills his cheek pouches with fruit, seeds, grains, nuts, vegetables, and other foods he finds. When his cheek pouches are stuffed full, he’ll hurry back to his burrow to empty his pouches. Then he’ll run back for more. He will do this over and over again. Finally, when Hammy has a pile of food stored in his burrow, he will relax. But just for a while. Soon he’ll be foraging for more food to add to his pile. Hamsters that live as pets in people’s houses act the same way their cousins do in the wild. These active animals have a natural need to do these things. The area they can explore will just be smaller, that’s all.

illustrated by Darlene Douthit Do you have a pet hamster? Do you know that he is NOCTURNAL and you are DIURNAL? What does that mean? Being nocturnal means hamsters are awake at night and sleep during the day. Being diurnal means you are awake during the day and sleep at night. So you and your hamster are not asleep and awake at the same time. If you own a hamster, you already know this because you have to wake your hamster every time you want to play with it. Have you ever wondered what your hamster does all night long while you are sleeping? Here’s how to find out.

WHAT YOU NEED: your hamster(s) • red cellophane WHAT YOU DO: Put your hamsters in a clear plastic cage or an empty aquarium. Make sure the lid has air holes in it. Put in hamster bedding and toys, and set up their water bottle and food dish. Now cut the red cellophane in pieces so you can cover every side of the cage with several layers of the cellophane. It should look perfectly dark red inside. This is all you have to do. Be sure NO regular light can get in around the edges of the red cellophane. Watch your hamsters. It may take them a few days to get used to their “red” cage, but then they will become active during the day when you are awake. You’ll be amazed at how active they are when they THINK it is night. To be kind to your hamsters, do this experiment for only a few days at a time.

THE SCIENCE SECRET Hamsters are color blind! They can’t see red. When you cover their cage with red cellophane, only red light can get in. YOU can see in red light and so can see what the hamsters are doing, but THEY can’t see the red light. Their cage looks dark to them, and they think it is nighttime. They will do the things they usually do when it’s dark. You can spy on their nocturnal antics!

by Diane Primrose Farrug • illustrated by Rebecca Spohn

“Step right up, ladies and gents! The Furry Friends Pet Shop proudly presents The best escape artist since Harry Houdini! It’s the one, it’s the only – it’s the Great Hamsterini! “Look closely, my friends. See, this cage is secure. But the Great Hamsterini is no amateur! He scales the water bottle, clambers up the walls, Dangles from the wire lid. He never even falls. Then when you least expect it, in the blink of just one eye, The hamster makes his great escape. He scurries right on by! Now it’s time for quite a trick, and this one’s up to you. You must catch Great Hamsterini before the kitties do!” The crowd let out a mighty gasp. A gent called in the cops. The ladies shrieked and fainted, while kitties licked their chops. Just then a girl raised up her hand. She wasn’t more than three. “You know, I think that I could catch a hamster running free. Abracadabra! Alacazam!” she proudly did proclaim. In her hand, she held a carrot, and Hamsterini came! He nibbled on the carrot and snuggled in her palm. The crowd just oohed and ahhed. The pet show was now calm. She placed the hamster in his cage, tucked him gently in a sock. She replaced the cage’s cover and this time put on a lock. The crowd erupted in joyous cheers. “Hip, hip, hip, hooray! Hooray for the Great Hamsterini, and for the girl who saved the day!”

Their names may sound similar, but voles and mole rats are very different. Voles live in North America. You have to travel to parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to catch a glimpse of mole rats.

VOLES

are sometimes called “meadow mice.” They do look like mice, but they are rounder and have furry, short tails. Voles weigh only one or two ounces. These rodents live in grassy fields, woodlands, and along lakes and rivers. They build their nests in clumps of grass. They are seen above ground much more often than mole rats. There are many animals which hunt them. But voles build runways through grass and plants, kind of like an above-ground tunnel. This way, they can go from place to place and not be seen. If a vole feels threatened, it will stamp its hind feet! Voles are good diggers and make underground burrows. They don’t store food there, so they are constantly looking for their next meal. In the summer, voles eat mostly green vegetation. In the fall, they switch to seeds and grains.

MOLE RATS

are not moles. And they are not rats! They live in grasslands, meadows, and pastures. These animals weigh only about a pound. A mole rat’s body is longer and thinner than a vole’s. This helps them move quickly through their tunnels. They are excellent diggers and use their big front teeth to move dirt. They use their short claws to push the dirt behind them. These rodents spend almost their entire lives in burrows. They don’t need to see or hear in the dark earth, so their eyes and ears are very small. One species of mole rat has no external opening for eyes, but they have small eyes hidden beneath their skin. Because they rarely leave their tunnels, mole rats eat mostly roots and bulbs. Sometimes, though, they go out at night to look for seeds and green plants.

Many people think moles are rodents because they dig in the ground. But they’re not. Aren’t these claws amazing?

by Cheryl Horton

Scurrying into stone walls and scampering up tree limbs, chipmunks are always on the move. Chipmunks seem to be silly little creatures. They may sit on their hind legs, nibbling berries or nuts. They might stand up tall, chirping loudly at other animals. Most often, though, chipmunks move so fast that they disappear before we catch even a quick look at them. Why do chipmunks move so quickly? One reason is that they fear predators. Animals like coyotes, raccoons, hawks, and snakes hunt chipmunks for food. Chipmunks are also on the lookout for other chipmunks that might steal their food or move into their burrows (homes). They are fiercely territorial. They do not want anyone to get near their homes, so they chirp loudly and move quickly to protect their territory. Chipmunks constantly hurry to prepare for winter. Chipmunks stay underground in their burrows all winter long. They gather and store enough seeds, nuts, and grains to last the entire season. Can you imagine gathering all the food you need for five months and storing it in one room of your house? Chipmunks do just that.

As chipmunks hide in their underground burrows in the cold months, they go into torpor (tawr-per). Torpor is like hibernation, but animals who go into torpor wake up to eat every once in a while. Animals that truly hibernate stay “asleep” for an entire season without needing to eat. Chipmunks in torpor sleep for long periods, from a

chipmunk with stuffed cheek pouches

day to a week at a time. Then, when they need to eat, they wake up and get a snack from their pile of stored nuts and seeds. How do chipmunks manage to gather and store such a huge supply of food? One secret is their super-stretchy cheeks. Chipmunk cheeks can actually stretch to three times the size of their heads. That would be like our cheeks puffing out to the size of party balloons! Chipmunks can carry a lot of food in those stretchy cheeks, which are not wet like ours. They are lined with dry skin that keeps their food supply dry as they store it away for future munching. To safely store their food supply, chipmunks dig burrows with separate chambers. Just as we use each room in our houses for a different activity, a chipmunk uses each chamber in its burrow for a different purpose. The main “living room” is about the size of a coconut. Chipmunks line this main chamber with shredded grass and leaves so they can sleep warmly. Tunnels lead from this main room to other chambers, including the important chamber for storing the grain, nuts, and seeds that took so long to gather. There is even a separate chamber for a “bathroom”! So listen and watch for these quick, clever, chirpy little creatures as they hurry about their business. Though chipmunks might make us laugh as they scurry and scamper, skitter and scritch, we know they are really hard at work.

Mystery Picture Puzzle on page 2

A Roster of Rodents on page 8

A L L I H C N I H C T V E B E H E C A L P Y B O C N E M S Q U I R R E L A H I A M R A B I S T E H E I P V I L R E T S M A H A P U E N E E S U O M R G E M C R G U I N E A P I G S U R T R O T A R K S U M D N O E N T W O O D C H U C K P BIG RODENT FACT: THE CAPYBARA IS THE LARGEST RODENT. Rodent Jumble on page 8

1. RAT, 2. MOUSE, 3. SQUIRREL, 4. WOODCHUCK, 5. MUSKRAT, 6. HAMSTER, 7. CHIPMUNK, 8. GOPHER, 9. GERBIL, 10. GUINEA PIG, 11. BEAVER, 12. PORCUPINE World of Rodents on page 9

R S Q U I R R E L O D R V T L I B R E G S P A T O M R A M D U R V T C E L E V R E I R A

S E N L G I T N B

Y I E E H H W E I H N N R O W M A N I U M J E G R E D B O M V I N T H U H E L A E R O E E

Agoutis Sudoku on page 8

O S A U T

T G

G O S U A

S A O I

T G U

T U G A O S

I O A S O N P G E D L R U H A R E M K A I U J C R T C I E H D E S R G O P H E R

G U T S O A

R L X E C E P T A T A U S N O L K C O Y P U E T T C U A P A R C A P Y B A R A K O C N T I K N U M P I H C C M A

A G S T U

P C

Did you know: RODENTS LIVE EVERYWHERE ON EARTH, EXCEPT ANTARCTICA!

U O

A G S T I

Pet Rodent Logic on page 9 Emily has the 2-year-old mouse, Grace has the 3-year-old hamster, Matthew has the 4-year-old guinea pig, Tyler has the 1-year-old gerbil.

Photo Credits: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo 4; Czech Wikipedia user Packa (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 5 (top); Rafael Rabello de Barros (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 5 (bottom); Mattnad (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 10 (bottom); Turtle Bay Exploration Park 11; Linda Brewster Rodgers 13 (left); Frederick V. Ramsey 13 (right); Gregory “Slobirdr” Smith [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 14 (top); Jerzystrzelecki (Own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 14 (middle); John White - CC by 2.5 via DCNature.com 14 (bottom); Pacific Southwest Region from Sacramento, US [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 19 (left); Alan Kotok from Arlington, VA, USA [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 19 (right); James St. John [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 23 (top); Yathin S Krishnappa (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 23 (bottom); Melbelle (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 24; AnemoneProjectors [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 27 (top); © Viktor Onyshchenko/123RF.com 27 (middle); Kenneth Catania, Vanderbilt University [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 27 (bottom); Thomas from USA [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons 28 (bottom); Cephas (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 29 (top); Vlad Lazarenko (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons 29 (bottom).

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