Pet Health Library – Marin Pet Hospital, San Rafael, CA

Rodent Husbandry and Care

Authored by: Thomas M. Donnelly DVM Co-authored by Cyndi Brown, DVM

The order Rodentia contains 2020 living species placed in 28 families (approximately half of all mammalian species) and is the largest order of mammals (1).  Rodents are found worldwide except in Antarctica and on some small islands.  Some spend their entire lives above the ground in the canopy of rainforests; others rarely emerge from beneath the ground.  Some rodents are highly aquatic, while others are equally specialized for life in deserts.  Many rodents are omnivorous; others are highly specialized, eating, for example, only a few species of invertebrates or fungi. Despite the large number of rodents, few are owned as pets.  The common pet rodents are rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and chinchillas.  Rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils belong to the Family Muridae in the rodent suborder Sciurognathi, one of the two major suborders of rodents.  Guinea-pigs and chinchillas are placed in the other rodent suborder Hystricognathi.  Less common pet rodents are prairie dogs, degus, African giant pouched rats, spiny mice and voles.