Mole Rats Can’t Feel Wasabi’s Painful Kick, Hydrochloric Acid Burns or Hardly Any Pain at All
And studying the impervious critters might help scientists figure out new ways to treat pain in humans
Yes, Giant Technicolor Squirrels Actually Roam the Forests of Southern India
The colorful creatures can measure up to three feet long from head to tail and weigh in at around four pounds
Meet the Singing Mice of Central America
The vocal critters could help scientists better understand the mechanics of human conversation
Chubby Rat Stuck in Manhole Cover Rescued by Fearless Firefighters
It took eight volunteer firefighters to pop the overweight rodent out of a vent in the sewer cover
Scientists Use AI to Decode the Ultrasonic Language of Rodents
The DeepSqueak software translates the high-pitched communication into sonograms, which can be analyzed to determine what mice and rats are saying
Urban Rats Enjoy Richer, More Reliable Diet Than Their Rural Counterparts
Researchers analyzed the remains of 86 brown rats that roamed Toronto between 1790 and 1890
Cats Are Surprisingly Bad at Killing Rats
Over a 79-day period, feral felines killed just two rats, instead opting to hunt less challenging prey
For Men, Gains in the Gym May Come at a Cost to Sperm
There might be a tradeoff between how strong men look and sperm count
Tree Shrews Love Hot Peppers Because They Don’t Feel the Burn
A genetic mutation prevents Chinese tree shrews from feeling the heat of capsaicin, making them the only other mammal besides humans that enjoys hot foods
Both Mice and Men Struggle to Abandon Their Best-Laid Plans
Rodents suffer from the same sunk cost fallacy that makes it so hard for humans to call it quits
Coral Reefs Need Fewer Rats and More Bird Poo
A study of rat-infested islands in the Chagos show that a lack of seabirds—and their guano—degrades surrounding coral ecosystems
Rat Bones Reveal How Humans Transformed Their Island Environments
Rodent remains prove an ideal tool for investigating changes on three Polynesian island chains
South Georgia Island Is Officially Free of Its Bird-Killing Rodents
After 250 years plagued with rats and mice, the island’s birds will hopefully now have the chance to bounce back
The History of Breeding Mice for Science Begins With a Woman in a Barn
Far more than a mouse fancier, Abbie Lathrop helped establish the standard mouse model and pioneered research into cancer inheritance
California Is Asking Residents to Report Sightings of Giant, Invasive Rodents
Nutria breed prolifically and they are absolute menaces
Old Age Doesn’t Seem to Kill Naked Mole Rats
The wrinkly rodents are as likely to die at the age of 1 as they are at 25, according to a new study
Plague Infects Three People in New Mexico
The deadly disease can be spread by household pets
Feuding Iguanas and Giant Rodents Rule This Cuban Island
In the Jardines de la Reina, an archipelago in the southern part of Cuba, two species have managed to co-exist in not-quite-harmony
This Echolocating Dormouse Could Reveal the Origins of One of Nature’s Coolest Superpowers
Mice, moths and even humans use clicks and echoes to “see” the world around them
Diet Deficiency Can Lead to Cannibal Hamsters
A new study may explain why the rodents are declining in western Europe
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