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Rodentia (rats & rodents)
Muridae
EOL Text
Mice and rats suffer from a bad reputation. That is due particularely to the fact that they like to live where people live. They eat everything, reproduce often and have big nests. However, mice and rats are the most important source of food for owls, raptors and land predators. On the Wadden Islands, you find wood mice, harvest mice and brown rats, and occasionally house mice. Wood mice take over the role of house mice when there are no house mice.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Ecomare |
| Source | http://www.ecomare.nl/index.php?id=4149&L=2 |
Muizen en ratten hebben vaak een slechte naam. Dat komt vooral door de soorten die in de buurt van mensen leven. Ze eten namelijk alles en krijgen ook nog eens veel en vaak jongen. Muizen en ratten zijn belangrijk voedsel voor roofvogels en landroofdieren. Op de waddeneilanden komen maar weinig soorten muizen en ratten voor, omdat ze niet makkelijk over zee komen. Meestal komen er wel bosmuizen, dwergmuizen en bruine ratten voor, en soms huismuizen. Waar die niet zijn, nemen bosmuizen de rol van de huismuizen over.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Ecomare |
| Source | http://www.ecomare.nl/index.php?id=4149&L=2 |
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Muridae/ |
In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Animal / parasite / ectoparasite / blood sucker
adult of Cimex lectularius sucks the blood of Muridae
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | BioImages, BioImages - the Virtual Fieldguide (UK) |
| Source | http://www.bioimages.org.uk/html/Muridae.htm |
Muridae is prey of:
Lynx rufus
Based on studies in:
USA: Florida, South Florida (Swamp)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- L. D. Harris and G. B. Bowman, Vertebrate predator subsystem. In: Grasslands, Systems Analysis and Man, A. I. Breymeyer and G. M. Van Dyne, Eds. (International Biological Programme Series, no. 19, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, England, 1980), pp. 591-
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Cynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE |
| Source | http://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/ |
Muridae preys on:
Tracheobionta
Larus californicus
Based on studies in:
USA: Florida, South Florida (Swamp)
This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.
- L. D. Harris and G. B. Bowman, Vertebrate predator subsystem. In: Grasslands, Systems Analysis and Man, A. I. Breymeyer and G. M. Van Dyne, Eds. (International Biological Programme Series, no. 19, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, England, 1980), pp. 591-
- Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 16, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org. http://www.animaldiversity.org
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | Cynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE |
| Source | http://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/ |
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Muridae/ |
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
| Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Muridae/ |
Pigments provide strength: mice
The viscoelastic heart valves of mice gain stiffness from melanin pigments.
"Pigmentation of murine cardiac tricuspid valve leaflet is associated with melanocyte concentration, which affects its stiffness…The mechanical properties along the leaflet vary with the degree of pigmentation. Pigmented regions of the valve leaflet that contain melanocytes displayed higher storage modulus (7-10 GPa) than non-pigmented areas (2.5-4 GPa). These results suggest that the presence of melanocytes affects the viscoelastic properties of the mouse atrioventricular valves and are important for their proper functioning in the organism…The cardiac valves display complex biomechanical properties that allow them to function in directed blood flow during the cardiac cycle…The mature atrioventricular (AV) valves (mitral and tricuspid) have leaflets composed of extracellular matrix (ECM), valvular interstitial cells and overlying endothelial cells. The mechanical requirements of the valve for elasticity, compressibility, stiffness and strength, as well as durability throughout the lifespan of an individual are achieved primarily by the highly organized and compartmentalized ECM composition of the leaflets…" (Balani et al. 2009:1097)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Balani K; Brito FC; Kos L; Agarwal A. 2009. Melanocyte pigmentation stiffens murine cardiac tricuspid valve leaflet. J R Soc Interface. 6(40): 1097-1102.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/b659a12748ff6cd0fec1d836ecfe0972 |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records: 6343
Specimens with Sequences: 6486
Specimens with Barcodes: 4913
Species: 260
Species With Barcodes: 228
Public Records: 2612
Public Species: 158
Public BINs: 188