Information about Lagomorpha

Lagomorphs[1] Fossil range: Earliest Eocene - Recent
Pika, Ochotona princeps, in Sequoia National Park Pika, Ochotona princeps, in Sequoia National Park
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Superorder: Euarchontoglires Order: Lagomorpha Brandt, 1855
Families
Leporidae Ochotonidae Prolagidae (extinct)

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.

Characteristics

Lagomorphs (loģ o-moŕ fs)(Gr. lagos, hare: + morphē, form) differ from rodents in that:

• they have four incisors in the upper jaw (not two as in rodents);
• they will only eat vegetation (unlike rodents, which will eat meat and vegetation);
• the male's scrotum is in front of the penis (unlike rodents, which is behind); and
• the penis has no bone (baculum) unlike the rodent penis.

However, they resemble rodents in that their teeth grow throughout their life, thus necessitating constant chewing to keep them from growing too long.

Classification

• ORDER LAGOMORPHA^[1]
• Family Ochotonidae: pikas
• Genus Ochotona
• Family †Prolagidae: Sardinian Pika and other related extinct pikas
• Genus †Prolagus
• Family Leporidae: rabbits and hares
• Genus Brachylagus
• Genus Bunolagus
• Genus Caprolagus
• Genus Lepus
• Genus Nesolagus
• Genus Oryctolagus
• Genus Pentalagus
• Genus Poelagus
• Genus ''Pronolagus
• Genus Romerolagus
• Genus Sylvilagus

See also

• Minorcan Giant Lagomorph

References

•  • [ e] Extant mammal orders by subclass

Australosphenida: Monotremata Marsupialia: Didelphimorphia  Paucituberculata  Microbiotheria  Notoryctemorphia  Dasyuromorphia  Peramelemorphia  Diprotodontia Placentalia: Afrosoricida  Macroscelidea  Tubulidentata  Hyracoidea  Proboscidea  Sirenia  Cingulata  Pilosa  Scandentia  Dermoptera  Primates  Rodentia  Lagomorpha  Erinaceomorpha  Soricomorpha  Chiroptera  Pholidota  Carnivora  Perissodactyla  Artiodactyla  Cetacea