This book is part of the Romanian Academy programme to explore and know country’s fauna. It is a result of tens of years of scientists’ contributions to the knowledge of systematics, biology, ecology, ethology and distribution of mammal species included in Rodentia order.
The author himself were in many field trips, observing and collecting more than 7000 rodent specimens. He used different methods of collecting: several types of traps (snap and live traps), flooding and digging galleries, shutting in case of some larger rodents like Sciurus vulgaris.
Rodentia order is represented in the Romanian fauna by 34 species, included in 24 genera from nine families.
Based on minutely observations it was established the development stage of testes as well as the number of embryos in case of pregnant females.
The author also analysed more than 10.000 pellets of different prey birds: Bubo bubo, Asio otus, Athene noctua, Strix aluco, Buteo buteo, Buteo lagopus. From pellets he qnd in some times in cooperation separarted bones of more than 21,000 rodent specimens. Of course, in cases of skulls and teeth well preserved, the identification was much easier and faster. These data were useful to know more precisely rodent species distribution on the Romanian territory as well as to establish limits of numerical fluctuations of some rodent populations in different areas of the country.
