RODENTS & HARES: Squirrels, marmots, rats, mice and porcupine are all common rodents or the gnawing animals.  They are small and share an important common feature their teeth that are specially structured.  They also eat their food in a similar manner.  Otherwise, they present a great varies of characteristics.

1. BEHAVIOR: All rodents are essentially herbivorous animals for this they have specially designed front teeth or incisors that are deeply rooted and are like sharp chisels to aid in cutting.  They have four such teeth, two each in upper and lower jaws.  A rodent first breaks up its food by growing, searing or nibbling at it with its front teeth.  It is later ground by strong molar teeth present in the inner chamber of the mouth.
2. FAMILY: When food supply, climate and other factors are favorable, rodents may multiply at an amazing rate.  Periodically rapid increase in gerbil, methods and other field rat populations occur in the Deccan.  Their burgeoning numbers can be kept in check only by predators, parasites and natural calamities.  Rodents live as a community in underground burrows.  They show promiscuous behavior in mating.  Babies are born blind and helpless.
3. FACTS: There are more than the thousand species of rodents on this earth, those two in enormous numbers.  They are found in land, water and sometimes even in the air.  Changes in color are therefore common.  Some rodents as if marmots are known to ‘hibernate’ (Winter sleep to minimize the loss of body energy) during the winters, some migrate while others remain active even in the server conditions.

TYPES OF RODENTS & HARES:

1. HIMALAYAN MOUSE HARE (Ochotona Royelei): Hares are distinguished from other rodents by the fact that they have four inscisor teeth, in their upper and lower jaws unlike the rodents that have only too.  They should not be confused with rabbits either as there are no rabbits present in India.  Mouse hares are smaller than hares and have no tails.  They also have rounded ears and short front legs.  The Himalayan mouse has is reddish brown in color and has a hand on the upper neck.  Found all across the Himalayas between 3,350-4,300m, it is commonly seen in rocky areas above the tree lime.  It lives burrows dig up under coarse grass and trees.  Not much is known of its breeding habits as weather it hibernates.
2. INDIAN GIANT SQUIRREL (Ratufa Indica): Like all giant squirrel, the Indian giant squirrel lives only on the treetops and rarely comes down.  It has a dark black-brown coat with buff colored underparts.  Active and agile animals, they are shy and wary of any unusual sight and sound.  In a dense forest, it loud ratting calls, has repeated, and usually reveals its presence.  They usually live alone in pairs.  Large globular nests of twigs and leaves are used as sleeping quarters as well as nursery.  Young are born from March-December.
3. PORCUPINE: Indian Porcupine (Hystrix India): Porcupine from a separate family of rodents, easily recognized by their hair that are modified in to spines.  Spines or quails as they are commonly called grow profusely at the back.  The popular belief that porcupine shoot their quills can be ignored.  When attacked or irritated they puff themselves up by erecting their spines and suddenly large forwards, leaving the enemy like a pincushion.  The Indian porcupine is found throughout the country.  They live in rocky areas, open land, forests, tall grass or near fields in burrows.  Nocturnal they have an acute sense of smell that helps them in searching for vegetables, roots and fruits.  Porcupine young were recorded in March.  Both parents usually occupy the burrows with their offspring, which may number from 2-4.  They are born with their eyes open and the body is covered with soft spines.