Carnivorous Rodents

[Tales]

Hi I am new to this site.

But I dunno if this place is the best place to ask such a crazy question.

Ok, in my story which is in progress. I am designing some predatory rodents which I need some scientific fact to support this design of the teeth. As you can see the Rodent skull hasn't changed much for millions of years in fact they all look very similar.

What kinda teeth will be needed or teeth shape would be best for a rodent's incisors to form so it can stab flesh.

I have a few designs but I calculated that the creature might have what they call a teeth occulsion or overgrown teeth if I use my current designs.

I would also wanna ask whether is it possible for a molar to turn into another teeth shape? Rodents only got molars and incisors. so I do not want to change the number of teeth but only the overall shape

I am going to make a 3d model of the creatures to impress my director.

I hope you guys can help

[Tales]

Oh yeah I can't post up my designs in gif as I am new to this board.

[The Ace]

Just look at rats. They have no difficulty eating meat.

Your big problem is that mammal orders are classed by their teeth and so a change in dentition'd mean your protagonists were no longer rodents.

It's already been done with the old swarm of rats (a formidable predator in the real world) and there's no point in mucking about with their intelligence as they're nobody's mugs to start with.

I think your best bet is to go for an increase in size and/or longer legs to allow them to run faster. As this, too, has been done, you'll need an imaginative twist as well, but I'll let you work that one out.

[Tales]

Originally Posted by The Ace

Just look at rats. They have no difficulty eating meat.

Your big problem is that mammal orders are classed by their teeth and so a change in dentition'd mean your protagonists were no longer rodents.

Oh no you have misunderstood me. I was didn't mean change the teeth into something like a rodent sprouting canines, I mean the rodents will still possess the front teeth but perhaps a different shape?

So far I stumbled upon Nixon's Future Evolution book about animals that will exist after Man's extinction. Inside there were rodents that evolved into meat eating predators, but I do not like the shape of the rat's teeth in. It could cause dental occlusion or something.

[Creator]

You mean this?

Yeah the future rat's incisors look like a good candidate for this...


This is a skull of a gopher who needs a dentist or something. It's dead need I say anymore?

[Tales]

Yeah! That's what I find ridculous.... I know Rats can eat meat but they are no active hunters

And that poor gopher.... T_T

[The Procrastinator]

Australia has some very interesting small critters that look and behave to some degree like rodents, but are in fact very active and athletic carnivorous hunters, with appropriate daggerlike teeth. They are marsupials, and there are heaps of different types and sizes of them. The ones I am thinking of are called Antechinus but they belong to a larger family called the dasyurids, which includes the Tasmanian Devil (largest living member of the family). Check them out, it might give you some ideas.

[Tales]

Fascinating! But then their dentition is not very rodent if you ask me.

Like what The Ace said the big problem is that mammals are identified according to dentition.

so I do not want the rodents to sprout canines where there were none before.

Okay I managed to find some creatures that have teeth that are almost rodent like. in other words they grow continuously, able to gnaw.etc
Aye Aye
This primate has rodent teeth that can chew wood.

Thylacoleo
This one is pretty fearsome as so to speak but is it possible for the rodent to turn it's molars into steak knifes? This one has been chosen but I need another teeth design to make my carnivorous rodents more interesting and fearsome.

But the one I am most interested is the Thylacosmilus the sabertooth marsupial. The teeth design is very close to what I am designing. But the creature only has two lower incisors and no upper incisors. the two sabre tooths grow continously like rodent's incisors. The lack of upper incisors seem a bit odd. how does he eat without upper incisors?

[The Procrastinator]

Well no, their dentition is not very rodent, because they are not rodents. But some of them are rodent size, with hunter behaviour more than scavenger behaviour, so they may come in useful behaviourally. Something with rodent-like teeth that may be worth looking into is the carnivorous kangaroo (long extinct of course) - it might have been called the short-faced kangaroo? I seem to recall it was rather large.

[Tales]

Oh those giants? I think the faces can be used for herbivores no problem.

[j. d. worthington]

As, despite the need for scientifically accurate speculation, this is more in the line of asking for information to aid in the construction of a fictional species or type, have moved the thread to Aspiring Writers, where you may receive more feedback....

[Team 2012]

One word (and please don't misinterpret it)

Shrew

[Teresa Edgerton]

Is there some reason why they have to be specifically rodents?

[Nik]

Um, not a far cry from 'rodents' are weasels, stoats etc, culminating in (cough) wolverine...

[Team 2012]

Is there some reason why they have to be specifically rodents?

Because they aren't rotten enough to be attourneys.