Final answer:
Rodents have continuously growing incisors and varied diets and tend to be larger than members of Soricidae, which do not have such incisors and are insectivorous and smaller in size.
Step-by-step explanation:
Some major differences between the order Rodentia, which includes animals like rats and mice, and the family Soricidae, which includes shrews, are:
- Rodents have continuously growing incisors that must be kept short by gnawing, while Soricidae do not.
- Members of Rodentia generally have larger bodies compared to the small-sized members of Soricidae.
- Soricidae primarily consume insects and other small invertebrates, classifying them as Insectivores, whereas rodents have a more varied diet, with some being omnivorous.
Rodents and Soricidae are both part of the class Mammalia but differ significantly in dental structure, size, and dietary preferences.