Squirrel

True Wild Life | Squirrel | There are many different species of squirrel natively found in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa. Squirrels are small rodents generally between 10 cm and 20 cm tall, although some species of squirrel like marmots and prairie dogs around the size of a small beaver. The red squirrel native to the United Kingdom is rapidly becoming extinct due to the rise in eastern grey squirrel numbers. In the UK grey squirrels are classed as vermin so it is illegal to release any into the wild as the grey squirrel destroys the habitats of the smaller native red squirrel.

Rat

True Wild Life | Rat | The two most common species of rat are the black rat and the brown rat. Both species of rat are found in all parts of the world. The rat is generally found in small, dark places and is thought to have originated in Asia before migrating across countries and being accidental passengers on human voyages. The rat is now one of the most widely spread and adaptable animals in the world. The rat is a small scavenger mammal that has proved to be a pest in both urban and rural areas where rats are normally present due to an abundance of food. Rats are known to kill smaller livestock on farms, and there is the myth that you are only ever 5ft away from a rat at anytime.

Porcupine

True Wild Life | Porcupine | The porcupine is one of the worlds largest rodents, with porcupines weighing around 12 kg. The porcupine is thought to be from the same family as the hedgehog but the DNA of the porcupine is not as old as that of the hedgehog. The porcupine is found inhabiting the forests and jungles of Asia, Europe, parts of Africa, and both North and South America. The porcupine feeds on insects and occasionally small reptiles and eggs.

Mouse

True Wild Life | Mouse | The mouse is a small rodent that is spread widely throughout nearly every country. The mouse is found in all corners of the globe, including parts of Antarctica. Many people today like to keep the mouse as pets because of the small size and quiet temperament of the mouse. The mouse is also used a lot in scientific research though the mouse is not an easy animal to examine.

Mongoose

True Wild Life | Mongoose | The mongoose is a small rodent-like mammal, the mongoose is similar in appearance to the meerkat and the weasel. Mongoose are naturally found in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe but the mongoose has also been artificially introduced to the Caribbean in more recent times. The mongoose is an omnivore, meaning that mongoose eat both plants and animals. The mongoose in Africa has caught the attention of humans, as they appear to be almost immune the poison of a snake.

Indian Palm Squirrel

True Wild Life | Indian Palm Squirrel | Indian Palm Squirrels are also known as the 3 stripe squirrel due to the mix of dark and white stripes on the back of the Indian palm squirrel. The Indian palm squirrel can be found nesting in the tree tops of exotic trees. The Indian palm squirrel is only naturally found in parts of India and Sri Lanka. Recent accidental introduction of the Indian palm squirrel into western Australia has made them a pest as the Indian palm squirrel has no real natural predators which has made the population of Indian palm squirrels in Australia thrive.

Hamster

True Wild Life | Hamster | Hamsters are thought to be originally from the desert lands of east Asia, including hamster species such as the common Syrian hamster and the miniature Russian dwarf hamster. Hamsters in the wild tend to spend most of their time digging and foraging for food. Today, hamsters are commonly kept as pets with the average household hamster getting to around 2 or 3 years old. Hamsters are thought to be easy first pets to keep for children due to the hamsters quite nature, small size and calm temperament.

Guinea Pig

True Wild Life | Guinea Pig | The guinea pig is found in the Andes mountains in South America, were it is used as a stable food source for the local peoples. Todays domestic guinea pig is thought to be a subspecies of the Andes guinea pig and therefore cannot be found in the wild. The guinea pig is a small furry herbivore that rarely grows to more than 30cm in length. The domestic guinea pig can get to around 6 or 7 years old. A wild guinea pig would probably be about 3 or 4.

Gopher

True Wild Life | Gopher | There are two main species of gopher, the pocket gopher and the Richardsons ground squirrel, both of these species of gopher are found in North America. The gopher is a small squirrel-like rodent which lives in burrows underground. The gopher digs large networks of tunnels and subterranean chambers which are referred to as gopher towns. These gopher towns contain an extensive network of tunnels that often result in the disruption of agriculture and landscapes.

Gerbil

True Wild Life | Gerbil | Gerbils are naturally found in the sandy plains of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The gerbil was originally known as a desert rat until they were commercially introduced to North America and bred as pets. The gerbil is a small rodent, similar in many ways to by the mouse and the hamster. Gerbils have a long tail like a mouse which the gerbil is able to shed should the tail get trapped. This self defense mechanism allows the gerbil to escape predators, leaving them with just a tail.

Dormouse

True Wild Life | Dormouse | The dormouse is a small mouse-like rodent predominantly found in Europe. There are 29 different species of dormouse found today, which are most well-known for their long periods of hibernation throughout the cooler winter months. Although the dormouse is mainly found inhabiting areas of dense forest and woodland across Europe, a number of dormouse species also extended their range into the warmer Asian and African continents, where they can be found nesting and foraging in the thick undergrowth, out of sight from predators.

Chinchilla

True Wild Life | Chinchilla | Chinchillas are medium sized rodents native to the Andes mountains in South America. Chinchillas are named after the tribe that hunted the chinchillas for their dense fur, the Chinchas. A chinchilla is therefore a fairly rare animal in its natural habitat today. Chinchillas feed on nuts, seeds and berries. They can defend themselves by spraying urine and releasing their fur when they are under attack.

Capybara

True Wild Life | Capybara | The capybara is the largest rodent in the world, and is found inhabiting the water-logged regions of South America. Despite its large size, the capybara is in fact very closely related to other South American rodents including chinchillas and guinea pigs. The capybara is a heavy, stocky-looking animal, which grows to more than a meter in length. The capybara also has a short head in comparison to its body, and has no tail at all.

Lemming

True Wild Life | Lemming | The lemming is a tiny rodent that is found in or near the Arctic Circle and are thought to be related to voles and muskrats. The smallest species of lemming is the wood lemming measuring around 8 cm. The Norwegian lemming is roughly three times the size of a wood lemming and is one of the largest species of lemming. Lemmings do not hibernate and instead endure the tough Arctic winters, with the lemming having special protection from the cold from its thick fur. The lemmings spend the winter searching for bulbs and shoots that are often buried beneath the snow. Lemmings are surprisingly solitary animals, only coming together to mate then separating again. Wild lemmings are thought to never get older than a couple of years due the harsh conditions in their natural habitat and the small and very edible size of the lemming. The lemming is easy prey for most meat-eating mammals and birds.

Chipmunk

True Wild Life | Chipmunk | Chipmunks are small squirrel-like rodents that are native to North America, although one species is found in some European countries. Chipmunks eat a wide variety of wildlife like frogs, mushrooms, birds, eggs, plants nuts and seeds. In the autumn, the chipmunks begin to gather their winter food stash, which they store in their burrows to last them until spring.

Flying Squirrel

  

True Wild Life | Flying Squirrel | The flying squirrel is a medium-sized rodent, closely related to the squirrels found in woodlands and across grasslands around the world. Flying squirrels tend to be slightly larger in size than the common squirrel. Despite the name, flying squirrels cannot actually fly, although they can be airborne for a remarkable length of time. Instead of flying, flying squirrels move through the air by gliding (normally between the trees), with the longest recorded glide of a flying squirrel being nearly 90 meters.