A mammoth is any species of the extinct elephantid genus Mammuthus, one of the many genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair. They lived from the Pliocene epoch into the Holocene at about 4,000 years ago, and various species existed in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. They were members of the family Elephantidae, which also contains the two genera of modern elephants and their ancestors.
Dwarf elephants are prehistoric members of the order Proboscidea which, through the process of allopatric speciation on islands, evolved much smaller body sizes in comparison with their immediate ancestors. Dwarf elephants are an example of insular dwarfism, the phenomenon whereby large terrestrial vertebrates that colonize islands evolve dwarf forms, a phenomenon attributed to adaptation to resource-poor environments and selection for early maturation and reproduction. Some modern populations of Asian elephants have also undergone size reduction on islands to a lesser degree, resulting in populations of pygmy elephants.
The genus Lemmus contains several species of lemming sometimes referred to as the true lemmings. They are distributed throughout the Holarctic, particularly in the Palearctic.
Wrangel Island is an island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180° meridian. The International Date Line is displaced eastwards at this latitude to avoid the island as well as the Chukchi Peninsula on the Russian mainland. The closest land to Wrangel Island is the tiny and rocky Herald Island located 60 km (37 mi) to the east. Wrangel Island is the last known place on earth where woolly mammoths survived, until around 4,000 years ago.
The ammodile, walo or Somali gerbil is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus Ammodillus. It is found in Ethiopia and Somalia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Mount Isarog shrew-mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found only in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest. It is threatened by habitat loss due to logging operations.
The heavenly hill rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in southwestern Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it has only been found on Mount Lompobatang. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The fraternal hill rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in northeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia. Its natural habitat is tropical dry forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Dicrostonyx is a genus of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It contains the collared lemmings. They are the only North American rodents that turn completely white in winter. It contains the following species:
The Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat or Ryukyu rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only extant species in the genus Diplothrix. It is found only in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The bushy-tailed hairy-footed gerbil is a species of rodent found in Namibia and South Africa. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, temperate grassland, and hot deserts. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Baer's hylomyscus or Baer's wood mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Rosevear's lemniscomys or Rosevear's striped grass mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Zambia and possibly Angola, where its natural habitat is cryptosephalum dry forest. The species is threatened by habitat loss.
De Graaff's soft-furred mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The delectable soft-furred mouse or East African praomys is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Hartwig's soft-furred mouse or Hartwig's praomys is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Cameroon. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Lukolela swamp rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Rupp's mouse or Rupp's stenocephalemys is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Ethiopia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Wrangel Island lemming is a species of lemming endemic to Wrangel Island in Russia. It was included as a subspecies of L. sibiricus by Jarrell and Fredga in 1993, while Chernyavskii regarded it as a separate species.
A lemming is a small rodent, usually found in or near the Arctic in tundra biomes. Lemmings make up the subfamily Arvicolinae together with voles and muskrats, which form part of the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils. In popular culture, a longstanding myth holds that they jump off cliffs/commit mass suicide.
