Last summer, for the first time in about two years, I was pleasantly surprised to see a meadow jumping mouse. I was mowing a field of timothy and Japanese stilt grass (unfortunately a nearly dominant plant now) when bouncing erratically across some of the mowed area beside me was this unusual animal.

The meadow jumping mouse has huge hind feet and a very long, thin tail, and I watched it as it took four or five foot bounds, zigzagging hurriedly to escape the “ugly big machine.”

The meadow jumping mouse is one of about 20 rodent species that you could see in the Times News region. It is a slimmer, smaller version of kangaroo rats that live in our Southwestern deserts.

The most numerous rodent is the meadow vole. (Meadow mouse) Many of you, even in your neatly manicured lawns, have (microtus) chewing their aboveground grassy tunnels. Those tunnels are easiest seen as the snow melts and before your lawn gets thick and green again. Dozens of them may be living in a 1-acre meadow.

An adult meadow vole is almost double the length of the jumping mouse (6 inches compared to 3¼-inch body for the jumping mouse) and is a heavier, chunky little rodent. They, too, scurry ahead of my tractor and their presence is probably why red fox tracks crisscross that field in the winter snow cover. These are two meadow dwelling rodents and are some of the smallest.

The larger rodents include the beaver, porcupine, woodchuck and muskrat. No matter what their size, rodents have a few traits in common. The most important characteristic in their classification is they have one pair of incisors (buck teeth) on the upper and lower jaws. These incisors are quite unique in that they grow throughout their lives. Also, the tough enamel that covers their teeth is only found on the front of the teeth. The result is they wear down on the inside, leaving a very sharp edge they then use to chew. Chewing is what they do best.

I’m sure all are aware of the chewing abilities of beavers. These rodents are capable of gnawing through tree trunks to fell them for food and for material to build their lodges and dams. As I continued through my teaching career, I tried to add interesting supplies to help me in my biology classes. I would collect much of it, but my Principal Mr. Bibighaus would try to find some money in his budget so I could add something helpful each year. One of my favorites was a beaver skull.

When discussing rodents, I would slowly pull one of the incisors from the skull, very slowly, emphasizing the length of the tooth. About 1 inch is exposed, but in the maxilla, another 2 inches was hidden. Porcupines, too, gnaw bark and limbs for their food.

Mice, like white-footed mice that may enter your hunting cabins or campers, not only leave their droppings, but can damage many things just with their gnawing to wear down those special incisors.

Whether it is a beaver (up to 60 pounds) or a jumping mouse or white-footed mouse (0.8 ounces) they are all rodents and one of the most important mammalian orders in our area.

Test Your Outdoor knowledge: Which of these won’t you see in our region? A. common snipe, B. blue goose, C. sandhill crane, D. whooping crane.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: White-tailed deer are hosts to the blacklegged tick (deer tick) and the wood tick (dog tick).

Contact Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com.