rodent

This term carries a strong association with pests and infestation, often evoking feelings of uncleanliness or structural damage in domestic settings. While scientifically neutral, in common parlance it is frequently used to group animals like rats, mice, and squirrels together under a umbrella of nuisance or vermin.

Because it describes a biological order, the word is used as a standard countable noun. It follows regular English pluralization patterns and does not require special partitive counters or irregular plural forms.