Rodents. Many of us love them, but unfortunately many people hate this most misunderstood group of animals. Rodents happen to be the largest and most diverse group of mammals. Right now, I only have one rodent species as pets: prairie dogs. Most people do not hold the correct idea as to what a rodent is or isn't. People tend to think that all small mammals with relatively cone-shaped faces are rodents. Then they lump a bunch of non-rodents into the category of rodents as if the group isn't large or diverse enough. Scientists classify animals by their skeletal structure, paying close attention to the teeth. They don't concern themselves too much with the size or body coloring of the animal.
I'd also like to address the fact that ferrets are not rodents. This is not to say that it's bad to be a rodent. Rodent is neither an insult nor an opinion. Ferrets are not rodents because they do not have the prominent upper and lower incisor teeth typical of rodents. Instead, they have prominent canines, usually with six small incisors between them, much like a dog or cat. This places them in the order Carnivora. More specifically, Mustelidae.
Rabbits too, are not rodents. However, they have been classified in the past as rodents, and are much closer related to them than ferrets are. They are considered Lagomorphs, since they have an extra pair of incisors that rodents do not have.
I made this video several months ago:
