Expert: Sarah Giers - 9/8/2006

Question
Dear Sarah,   I think I once read somewhere that rabbits are NOT rodents. I had always assumed they were. I mentioned this to someone and they thought I was nuts. They said "Of course a rabbit is a rodent!" So,am I mistaken or is a rabbit a rodent? And if not,why?

Thanks for your time, David Ritchey

Answer
Rabbits are not rodents. They are actually in a Order called "Lagamorpha", which includes rabbits, hares, and a small South American animal called the pika. All rodents belong to an order called "Rodentia". One of the things that differentiates them is that Lagamorphs (animals in the Lagamorpha Order) from Rodents is the fact that they have an extra pair of small front teeth that sit behind the regular front teeth. Male rodents also have a penile bone, while Lagamorphs do no. Lagamorphs redigest special feces called "cecotropes" which allows them to get the most out of their plant-only diet (which is another difference, Lagamorphs do not naturally eat meat, many rodents do). There are other small skelatal features that distinguish the two groups, as well.