- Who
- Rodentia
- What
- 2,552 total number
- Where
- Not Applicable ()
- When
The largest order of mammals on Earth are the rodents (Rodentia), accounting for approximately 39% of all mammal species. Out of around 6,500 known mammal species, rodents make up 2,552 according to data collated in the Journal of Mammalogy on 1 February 2018. Rodents live on all continents except Antarctica.
Rodents also play host to the largest family of mammals: Muridae (the true rats and mice) accounted for 835 species according to the same data-set.
The second-largest order of mammals are the bats (Chiroptera), with approximately 1,390 species.
