10 Facts About Lagomorphs

10 Facts About Lagomorphs Rabbits, hares, and pikas, collectively known as lagomorphs, are known for their floppy ears, bushy tails and impressive hopping ability. But theres more to lagomorphs than fluffy fur and a bouncy gait. Rabbits, hares, and pikas are versatile mammals that have colonized a wide range of habitats throughout the world. They serve as prey for many species and as such play an important role in the food webs they occupy. In this article, youll learn interesting facts about rabbits, hares,  and pikas and find out about their unique characteristics, their life cycle, and their evolutionary history. Lagomorphs are divided into 2 basic groups Lagomorphs are a group of mammals that includes two basic groups, the pikas, and the hares and rabbits. Pikas are small, rodent-like mammals with short limbs and rounded ears. When they crouch down, they have a compact, almost egg-shaped profile. Pikas prefer cold climates throughout Asia, North America and Europe. They often inhabit mountainous landscapes. Hares and rabbits are small to medium-sized mammals that have short tails, long ears, and long hind legs. They have fur on the soles of their feet, a characteristic that gives them added traction when running. Hares and rabbits have acute hearing and good night vision, both adaptations to the crepuscular and nocturnal lifestyles of many of the species in this group. There are about 80 species of lagomorphs There are about 50 species of hares and rabbits. Well-known species include the European hare, snowshoe hare, Arctic hare and eastern cottontail. There are 30 species of pikas. Today, pikas are less diverse than they were during the Miocene. Lagomorphs were once thought to be a group of rodents Lagomorphs were once classified as a subgroup of rodents due to similarities in physical appearance, the arrangement of teeth and their vegetarian diet. But today, scientists believe that most similarities between rodents and lagomorphs are the result of convergent evolution and not due to shared ancestry. For this reason, lagomorphs have been promoted within the mammalian classification tree and now ran astride rodents as an order in their own right. Lagomorphs are among the most intensely hunted of any animal group Lagomorphs serve as prey for a wide variety of predator species around the world. They are hunted carnivores (such as bobcats, mountain lions, foxes, coyotes) and predatory birds (such as eagles, hawks, and owls). Lagomorphs are also hunted by humans for sport. Lagomorphs have adaptations that enable them to elude predators Lagomorphs have large eyes that are positioned on either side of their head, giving them a field of vision that encircles them completely. This gives lagomorphs a better chance of spotting approaching predators since they have no blind spots. Additionally, many lagomorphs have long back legs (enabling them to run quickly) and claws and fur-covered feet (which give them good traction). These adaptations give lagomorphs a better chance of escaping predators that get too close for comfort. Lagomorphs are absent from only a few terrestrial regions throughout the world Lagomorphs inhabit a range that includes North America, Central America, parts of South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In some parts of their range, especially islands, they were introduced by humans. Lagomorphs are absent from Antarctica, parts of South America, Indonesia, Madagascar, Iceland and parts of Greenland. Lagomorphs are herbivores Lagomorphs eat plants of various forms including grasses, fruits, seeds, herbs, buds, leaves and even bits of bark they strip off of deciduous and coniferous trees. They are also notorious for eating cultivated plants such as grains, cabbage, clover, and carrots. Since the plant foods they eat are nutrient-poor and difficult to digest, lagomorphs eat their droppings, thus causing the food material to pass through their digestive tract twice to maximize the number of nutrients they are able to extract. Lagomorphs have high reproductive rates Reproductive rates for lagomorphs are generally quite high. This offsets the high mortality rates they often face due to harsh environments, disease, and intense predation. The largest lagomorph is the European hare The European hare is the largest of all lagomorphs, reaching weights of between 3 and 6.5 pounds and lengths of more than 25 inches. The smallest lagomorphs are the pikas Pikas include the smallest of all lagomorphs. Pikas generally weigh between 3.5 and 14 ounces and measure between 6 and 9 inches long.

Recommended Business Writing Style Guides

Recommended Business Writing Style Guides MOST RECOMMENDED The Gregg Reference Manual:A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting, 11th EditionWilliam A. Sabin, McGraw-Hill, 2011 The Gregg Reference Manual is intended for anyone who writes, edits, or prepares material for distribution or publication. For over fifty years this manual has been recognized as the best style manual for business professionals who want to master the on-the-job standards of business professionals. FOR NEWSLETTERS AND BLOGS The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media LawEdited by Darrell Christian, Sally Jacobsen, and David Minthorn, Associated Press, 2010 The Associated Press Stylebook, first published in 1977, clarified the news organization's rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage. Now in its sixth edition, the Stylebook is the standard style guide for most U.S. newspapers, magazines, public relations, and consulting firms. FOR PROOFREADERS The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th EditionThe University of Chicago Press, 2010â€Å"Chicago† is the bible of book publishers. We refer to â€Å"Chicago,† but it is a specialist’s volume. Unless you’re a professional editor or proofreader, this style guide is not needed by most business writers. FOR EVOLVING LANGUAGE Garner's Modern American Usage, 3rd EditionBryan A. Garner, Oxford University Press, 2009I like this resource because it includes a "Language-Change Index," which indicates how well accepted a term is, ranging from Stage 1, widely considered incorrect, to Stage 5, universally accepted as correct. Because business writing language is ever-evolving, this is a helpful guidebook to determine if a usage is now acceptable. FOR UK AND US ENGLISH STYLE DIFFERENCES The Economist Style Guide, 2011 Edition This guide contains a very helpful section on American and British English. American and British business writing is essentially identical. There are spelling and minor punctuation differences, that this text illustrates perfectly. By the way, you should construct documents in your style. If you are British and writing to an American, for example, use British English, rather than American English. Do not use idiomatic expressions or vague phrasings, of course. There is never any significant misunderstanding between UK and US English, as long as one avoids idiom and writes clearly. Trying to adopt a style and voice that is not your own rings false. INTERNAL STYLE GUIDE Do you wish to compile style guidelines, unique to your organization? For example, you may have specific terms you want used with consistency in all documents. Many organization compile an internal style guide, and share it with all employees. Many thanks to the ASTD LinkedIn group for sharing a generic internal style guide, which you can use as a model. (Yet, another reason you should join LinkedIn if you have not yet done so!) Download a copy of this Business Writing Style Guide Internal Template.