|
Lagomorpha:
The Lagomorphs, order Lagomorpha, are an order of mammals of which there are two families, Leporidae (hares and rabbits), and Ochotonidae (pikas). Though members of order Lagomorpha can resemble rodents (order Rodentia), and were classified as a superfamily in that order until the early twentieth century, they have since been considered a separate order. For a time it was common to consider the lagomorphs only distant relatives of the rodents, to whom they merely bore a superficial resemblance; however, genetic studies have since shown that, while still distinct from rodents, they are indeed very closely related after all. Lagomorphs (loģ o-moŕ fs)(Gr. lagos, hare: + morphē, form) differ from rodents in that:
1.they have four (not two as in rodents) incisors in the upper jaw;
2.they will only eat vegetation (unlike rodents, who will eat meat and vegetation);
3.the male's scrotum is in front of the penis;
4.the penis has no bone (baculum) unlike the rodent penis; 5.they will redigest first-time droppings (called cecotropes) to obtain the most from their plant diet.
They resemble rodents, however, in that their teeth grow throughout their life, thus necessitating constant chewing to keep them from growing too long. |
