Home » Plants & Animals » Rabbits & Rodents » Mending Human-Rodent Relations

Mending Human-Rodent Relations

© Dorothy Hoffman

We've been waging war on rodents for a few thousand years now, and I think it's about time we finally threw in the towel and admitted we've been outwitted and outnumbered. In fact, with more than 1,800 species of rodents, the prolific little mammals make up about 50 percent of all mammal species. Thriving long before any human or even our most primitive primate relatives set foot on earth, they've set up house in virtually every imaginable habitat - in trees, under ground, and in the water - in climates from the arctic tundra to arid deserts and steaming tropical jungles.

The earliest known rodent, a member of the Paramyidae family, dates back at least to the late Paleocene era, about 57 million years ago. These primitive, generalized rodents populated North America and Europe and quickly proliferated, diversified, and specialized. Probably the most evolutionarily successful and diverse group of mammals on the planet today, rodents have also "influenced history and human endeavor more than any other group of mammals," according to The Encyclopedia of Mammals.

An Evolutionary Success Story

Adaptability is one of the secrets to their success. Some rodents have become extreme specialists like the bizarre naked mole-rat who lives in insect-like underground colonies where each individual belongs to a caste that performs a unique task. Others, like the world-renowned rat, are master generalists who have learned to thrive in just about any environment on just about any diet.

Their success hasn't gone unnoticed by human competitors for the same resources. Rats have been the targets of our hostilities more than any other rodent, yet they've found human civilizations to be ideal environments - a source of abundant food and shelter and convenient transportation to new territories. Mass exterminations, bad blood over that nasty little Black Plague incident during the Dark Ages, systematic imprisonment and torture in the name of scientific knowledge, and a centuries-old feud are apparently a small price to pay for these free services.

An Unsuccessful War Campaign

In fact, despite our best efforts to annihilate them, rats have thrived and continued to proliferate. The sociable and fun-loving prairie dog hasn't fared quite as well and may well have been wiped out by cattle farmers and suburban communities annoyed by their extensive tunneling and underground housing arrangements. But, fortunately, cuteness has its rewards, including some much needed political clout from fans of the adorable and friendly "dogs." Their ecological benefits to badly degraded prairie environments helped win the hearts of nature lovers, too.

The copyright of the article Mending Human-Rodent Relations in Rabbits & Rodents is owned by Dorothy Hoffman. Permission to republish Mending Human-Rodent Relations in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.