What is Muroidea?
{{Automatic Taxobox | name = Muroids | fossil_range = Middle [[Eocene]] - Recent | image = Feldmaus Microtus arvalis.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = ''[[Microtus arvalis]]'' | taxon = Muroidea | authority = Illiger, 1811 | subdivision_ranks = [[family (biology)|Families]] | subdivision = [[Platacanthomyidae]]<br /> [[Spalacidae]]<br /> [[Calomyscidae]]<br /> [[Nesomyidae]]<br /> [[Cricetidae]]<br /> [[Muridae]] }} '''Muroidea''' is a large [[superfamily]] of [[rodent]]s. It includes [[hamster]]s, [[gerbil]]s, true [[mouse|mice]] and [[rat]]s, and many other relatives. They live on almost every [[continent]] except [[Antarctica]]. Some scientists have placed all members of this group into a single family, [[Muridae]]. Sometimes there are difficulties in knowing how the [[subfamily|subfamilies]] are related to one another. The muroids are classified in 6 [[family (biology)|families]], 19 [[subfamily|subfamilies]], around 280 [[genus|genera]] and at least 1300 [[species]]. == Taxonomy == * Family [[Platacanthomyidae]] - ''[[incertae sedis]]'' - ([[spiny dormouse]] and [[Pygmy dormouse|pygmy dormice]]) * Family [[Spalacidae]] fossorial muroids ** Subfamily [[Myospalacinae]] ([[zokor]]s) ** Subfamily [[Rhizomyinae]] ([[bamboo rat]]s and [[root rat]]s) ** Subfamily [[Spalacinae]] ([[blind mole rat]]s) * Clade [[Eumuroida]] - typical muroids ** Family [[Calomyscidae]] *** Subfamily [[Calomyscinae]] ([[mouse-like hamster]]s) ** Family [[Nesomyidae]] *** Subfamily [[Cricetomyinae]] (pouched rats and mice) *** Subfamily [[Dendromurinae]] ([[African climbing mice]], [[gerbil mice]], [[fat mice]] and [[forest mice]]) *** Subfamily [[Mystromyinae]] ([[white-tailed rat]]) *** Subfamily [[Nesomyinae]] (Malagasy rats and mice) *** Subfamily [[Petromyscinae]] ([[rock mouse|rock mice]] and the [[climbing swamp mouse]]) ** Family [[Cricetidae]] *** Subfamily [[Arvicolinae]] ([[vole]]s, [[lemming]]s and [[muskrat]]) *** Subfamily [[Cricetinae]] (true [[hamster]]s) *** Subfamily [[Neotominae]] (North American rats