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Rodents and Shrews

Coins left behind as offerings helped the researchers measure the size of the imprint from photos.

Chicago’s Famous ‘Rat Hole’ Wasn’t Actually Made by a Rat, According to a Statistical Analysis

Scientists are almost certain the viral imprint in a city sidewalk was actually made by an unlucky squirrel

Many rodents have nails on their thumbs and claws on the rest of their fingers. A new study suggests this trait might have been key to their world domination.

Rodents Conquered the World With the Help of Their Thumbnails, Study Suggests

The trait might have given rodents greater manual dexterity, allowing them to access new foods, such as nuts

The leaf-toed gecko has been rediscovered on Rábida Island in the Galápagos.

Small, Secretive Gecko Rediscovered in the Galápagos After Scientists Eliminate Invasive Rats

Researchers thought leaf-toed geckos were locally extinct on Rábida Island, so they were thrilled to find several of the lizards alive and well during 2019 and 2021 expeditions

Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes the plague

An Arizona Resident Died From the Plague. Here’s What to Know About the Rare Disease

The patient had the pneumonic plague, the rarest and deadliest form of the disease. Human cases remain very uncommon in the United States, though plague is endemic to the western part of the country

Fossilized remains of the giant beaver have been discovered in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, as well as in southern Minnesota.

Bear-Sized Giant Beavers Once Roamed North America, and They’re Now the Official State Fossil of Minnesota

The large, extinct creatures roamed the Twin Cities area more than 10,000 years ago and could grow to more than 200 pounds

Scavengers like turkey vultures remove millions of tons of waste each year by consuming carrion.

Scavenger Animals Are in Trouble, and That Could Spell Bad News for Human Health

More than one-third of species that eat some amount of carrion are threatened or declining, a new analysis finds, and that could lead to a rise in zoonotic diseases

Trail cameras recorded nocturnal subalpine woolly rats roaming around in search of plants to eat.

See the First Photos and Videos of the Rare Subalpine Woolly Rat, a Massive but Elusive Rodent in New Guinea’s Mountains

Working with local Indigenous people, biologist František Vejmělka spent six months surveying the creatures that live on Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea

Ronin the African giant pouched rat is one of more than 100 rats trained by a Belgian nonprofit to sniff out deadly land mines.

Super-Sniffing Rat Sets a New World Record for Discovering Deadly Land Mines—and He’s Just Getting Started

Ronin, a 5-year-old African giant pouched rat, has found 109 land mines and 15 other unexploded ordnances in Cambodia

The mice were genetically engineered to have mammoth-like traits, such as thick, fluffy hair.

Biotech Company Creates ‘Woolly Mouse’ as a Step in Its Quest to Resurrect Woolly Mammoths Through Gene Editing

Colossal Biosciences leaders say the fluffy, golden-haired mice help validate their technique to “de-extinct” species, but outside scientists remain skeptical

Cells producing the NOVA1 protein are shown in green in the brain of a mouse. A specific variant of this protein is unique to humans, and researchers suggest it is linked to spoken language development.

Scientists Identify a Gene Linked to Spoken Language, and It Makes Lab Mice Squeak Differently

A new study suggests the unique human version of the NOVA1 protein developed after our ancestors split from Neanderthals on the evolutionary tree, and it might have given us a competitive edge over our relatives

Nutria have voracious appetites for vegetation, leading them to destroy wetland ecosystems.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wants You to Eat These Giant, Invasive Rodents

As part of National Invasive Species Week, the agency is calling on Americans to “eat the invaders,” including swamp-dwelling nutria

A new study suggests lab mice will open the mouths and pull on the tongues of their unconscious companions.

Lab Mice Appear to Offer ‘First Aid’ Care to Their Unconscious Companions, Even Pulling on Their Tongues

A new study finds that mice will sniff, lick and pull the tongue of other mice that are under anesthesia, serving to open their airways

Mice have an instinctive reaction to hide when the shadow of a bird passes over. In a new study, scientists taught the rodents to overcome that fear.

How Can the Brain Overcome Fear? New Study of Mice Offers Clues to PTSD and Anxiety Treatment

Researchers identified two brain areas in mice that helped the animals learn to suppress their instinctive fears of predators

One of the first-ever images of the Mount Lyell shrew in California

See the First-Ever Photographs of the Elusive Mount Lyell Shrew, Finally Caught on Camera in California

A group of young researchers captured and photographed the animal on a three-day expedition to the Eastern Sierra Nevada

A California ground squirrel carries a vole in its mouth after hunting the rodent.

Squirrels Are Displaying ‘Widespread Carnivorous Behavior’ for the First Time in a California Park, New Study Finds

The familiar rodents, known for eating nuts and seeds, have been spotted hunting and decapitating voles in a gruesome dietary adaptation. Scientists say it might signal resiliency in face of future environmental pressures

Pocket gophers are a type of burrowing rodent known for their extensive tunnels.

New Research

How a Team of Gophers Restored Mount St. Helens After Its Catastrophic Eruption With Less Than a Day of Digging

After the volcanic eruption of 1980, scientists released the burrowing rodents for only a brief time, but their activities left a remarkably enduring impact, according to a new study

The rats let their handlers know when they've found something by tugging on a ball attached to the front of their custom vests.

These Giant, Vest-Wearing Sniffer Rats Could Help Combat the Illegal Wildlife Trade, Scientists Say

Researchers trained African giant pouched rats to detect commonly smuggled items, including rhino horns and elephant tusks

Cinnamon, the escaped capybara, was born at Hoo Zoo, along with her twin brother, Churro. They live there with their parents, Chimu and Chincha.

A Runaway Capybara Is Evading Capture and ‘Living Her Best Life’ in England

The “beloved” rodent named Cinnamon was spotted this week with help from drones. She has been wandering and eating grass after escaping her zoo enclosure last Friday

A picture of Calhoun in a mouse utopia in 1970

Cool Finds

This Old Experiment With Mice Led to Bleak Predictions for Humanity’s Future

From the 1950s to the 1970s, researcher John Calhoun gave rodents unlimited food and studied their behavior in overcrowded conditions

An artist's impression of the shrew-like Krusatodon kirtlingtonensis, which a new study suggests lived long and matured slowly, in contrast to modern small mammals.

Two Rare Jurassic Skulls Could Help Unlock the Secrets of Mammals’ Evolutionary Success

Fossils reveal a prehistoric, mouse-like creature matured slower and lived longer than similar mammals of today

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