Which order includes many classic mammal hibernators such as marmots, ground squirrels, and dormice? Rodentia. Marmots, ground squirrels, and dormice are all rodents, even though they differ greatly in size, habitat, and appearance.
Rodentia is the mammalian order defined by its characteristic pair of ever-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws. Marmots and ground squirrels belong to the squirrel family Sciuridae, while dormice belong to the family Gliridae. Their shared order reflects evolutionary relationships, not a single hibernation strategy.
Many rodents are classic hibernators because their seasonal torpor can sharply reduce body temperature, heart rate, breathing, and metabolism. Marmots and many ground squirrels retreat to burrows for winter, often cycling through torpor and brief arousals. Dormice likewise conserve energy during periods when food is scarce.
A common mistake is to classify every winter-dormant mammal together. Bears, for example, are carnivorans rather than rodents, and rabbits and hares are lagomorphs. Hibernation is a physiological behavior; Rodentia is the taxonomic order that contains these familiar examples.