Musophobia
Rats, Mice & Rodents
Rats laugh when tickled, mice sing to each other, and together they've helped produce most of modern medicine. There's more to them than their reputation.
Rat
Surprisingly clean, deeply social, and incredibly smart
Rats have been observed freeing trapped companions from cages, even when they didn't benefit themselves — and they save chocolate to share with friends.
Mouse
Small, clever, and responsible for most of modern medicine
Male mice serenade females with ultrasonic songs — complex, patterned compositions that, when slowed down to human hearing range, bear a striking resemblance to birdsong.
Squirrel
Twitchy and territorial, but responsible for planting millions of trees
Squirrels will adopt orphaned baby squirrels from other litters — one of the few wild animals observed practicing altruistic adoption of unrelated young.
Prairie Dog
Blamed for plague and shot on sight — actually engineers of the American grasslands
Prairie dogs greet each other with a brief 'kiss' — touching lips to identify family members. Researchers who spent years in the field were eventually greeted the same way by habituated individuals.