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The
order Insectivora is rather hard to classify and much
dispute has occurred over years as to how the order
should be arranged. Most recent accounts have 7 families
containing 68 genera and 440 species. They are found
almost worldwide on most continents except Antarctica
and Australia.
Among
the mammals, the members of the Insectivora order are
considered to be primitive in design and may provide
a glimpse into the ancestral forms of many of the Recent
mammals. Some of these archaic characteristics include
small, somewhat smooth brains, highly defined teeth,
primitive auditory bones and collar bones. Like the
marsupials, Insectivora possess a cloacae-the common
opening for the reproductive, excretory and digestive
systems.
Insectivora
are typically small in size. Depending upon species
they are terrestrial, fossorial and semi aquatic. Most
are nocturnal in their activity patterns. Their diets
vary with most being insectivorous as their order name
indicates, however some are carnivorous as well. It
has long been thought that many species of Insectivora
are gluttonous in their eating habits, but studies have
shown that their diets are often lacking in nutritional
value.
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