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- How is the skeleton of rats
- how many bones does a mouse have
- Why are rats so flexible
- Other fun facts about the skeleton of rats
As we well know, rats are little rodents that we can find free in numerous natural habitats or as pets in many family homes. Despite the rejection that they can cause if we meet one of these small mammals, as occurs with rats, it is worth highlighting its peculiar intelligence and other aspects characteristic of rats.
It's the case of your skeletal system, as many of us have wondered at one time how mice can pass anywhere and are able to move with such agility. It's impossible not to be impressed by their ability to squeeze into some areas that we think are impossible for their size.
And it is for this reason and for the doubts that many people have about this topic that, in this article by PeritoAnimal, we will clarify the following question: O mouse has bone? Find it out!
How is the skeleton of rats
yes the mouse has bone. And the skeleton of rats is very similar to that of any other mammal and especially that of any other rodent, as it has an elongated skull, a long vertebral column formed by a large number of vertebrae, four legs for walking or limbs that are made of humerus. , ulna and radius, and femur, tibia and fibula, a series of phalanges and other bony structures such as the ribs or pelvis. these are the main functions performed by some of the bones present in rats:
- Skull: among its functions, the protection of the most important structure, the brain, stands out. At the same time, it supports other organs, such as the eyes.
- Spine: allows the articulation of the body and protects the spinal cord, mainly. For this reason, the importance of the spine to prevent injuries to the nervous system.
- ribs: form the animal's rib cage, sheltering and protecting organs as important as the heart or lungs.
- Pelvis: Protects the pelvic organs while providing mechanical support. In addition, it articulates the lower part of the trunk with the hind limbs.
- limb bones: together with the musculature, allows the animal to move. The hind legs are longer, allowing for good propulsion.
However, although they look a lot physically, it's important not to confuse a rat with a mouse. To help you tell them apart, we've left you this other PeritoAnimal article on differences between rat and rat.
how many bones does a mouse have
As we mentioned, rats, like the rest of rodents, have vertebrae. This answers our question about whether mice are vertebrate. Unlike other animals, such as insects or annelids, vertebrates are animals that, in addition to having a vertebral column, have a skull, brain and even limbs, among others. This also allowed them to develop a complex nervous system along with highly developed sense organs.
Counting that rats have 7 cervical vertebrae, 13 thoracic vertebrae, 4-6 lumbar vertebrae, a variable number of caudal vertebrae, 13 pairs of ribs and a multitude of bone structures that make up the skull, scapula, metacarpus, metatarsal, the phalanges, etc., we can say that rats have more than 200 little bones throughout your entire body.
If you are interested in these precious animals because you are considering adopting one, we encourage you to read the rat twister as a pet article. Now, if you want to know more about hamsters, watch the following video on how to take care of a hamster:
Why are rats so flexible
We are often surprised by the ability of rats to pass through cracks of a few centimeters. Although they are small animals, whose size by itself does not pose a big problem to pass through very narrow places, the explanation for this great flexibility is in the gap that exists between each of the small vertebrae that make up the spine of the rat. In this way, they can bend with great ease, appearing to have a rubber skeleton.
By checking whether your head, the animal's largest structure, can pass through certain small spaces, the rest of the body will not be a problem. But how are they able to tell if your head enters these tiny holes? Thanks to intelligence of these little rodents and their Sensory organs, among them the touch through their mustaches or their small hands, which can perceive distances and sizes of their surroundings. In this way, the brain receives information from the environment, allowing it to know whether or not it can pass through certain places that we would never imagine.
Other fun facts about the skeleton of rats
Now that you know that rats have bone and what the bone system of these rodents is like, in addition to knowing the reason for their great flexibility, other data on rat bones may also be interesting. Among them, we can highlight that these small rodents have:
- One very strong bone system, despite the elasticity they may have.
- presence of five cranial crests that allow the union of different bones.
- The tail is usually formed by approximately 20 vertebrae, which are called coccygeal vertebrae.
- Young female rats have ligaments that connect the pubic bones. After delivery, these bones diverge.
- The chest is quite narrow, which also allows it to enter small spaces, giving the skeleton great elasticity.
- the skeleton of all rodents (rats, hamsters, mice, etc.) are very similar to each other, giving these mammals great agility when moving around in different places.
In addition to these fun facts about rats, if you are interested in knowing how to scare away these little rodents, we encourage you to read about how to scare away rats?
If you want to read more articles similar to Does the mouse have a bone?, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.