Rodents are mammals of the order Rodentia, characterized by two pairs of continuously growing incisors, one pair in the upper and one in the lower jaw. About forty percent of all mammal species are rodents, and they are found in vast numbers on all continents except Antarctica. They are the most diversified mammalian order, including mice, rats, squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines, beavers, guinea pigs, and hamsters, and can be found in a variety of habitats, including manmade environments. There are arboreal, burrowing, and semi-aquatic species. While the largest species, the capybara, can weigh as much as 66 kg (146 lb), many rodents weigh less than 100 g (3.5 oz) and have robust bodies, short limbs and long tails. They use their sharp incisors to gnaw food, defend themselves, and shape their habitat. Most eat seeds or other plant material. Many species live in societies with complex forms of communication. Rodents can be monogamous, polygynous, or promiscuous. The rodent fossil record dates back to the Paleocene on the supercontinent of Laurasia.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodent

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

853:

Byzantine–Arab Wars: The Byzantine navy sacked and plundered the port city of Damietta on the Nile Delta, whose garrison was absent at the time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sack_of_Damietta_(853)

1826:

HMS Beagle departed on her first voyage from Plymouth for a hydrographic survey of the Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego regions of South America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Beagle

1915:

Lassen Peak, in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, violently erupted, the only volcanic eruption in the contiguous U.S. in the 20th century until Mount St. Helens in 1980. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lassen_Peak

1915:

Five trains were involved in the United Kingdom's deadliest train crash near Gretna Green, Scotland, killing 227 people and injuring 246 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintinshill_rail_disaster

1945:

The United States Army formed a plan to evacuate German scientists and engineers to help in the development of rocket technology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Paperclip

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

sangfroid: Composure, self-possession or imperturbability especially when in a dangerous situation. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sangfroid

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

It was easier to know it than to explain why I know it. If you were asked to prove that two and two made four, you might find some difficulty, and yet you are quite sure of the fact.   --A Study in Scarlet https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Sherlock_Holmes#A_Study_in_Scarlet_.281887.29