This order includes 37 species, united in 7 families and 18 genera. Composition of these families is following: 1. Sciuridae counts 2 species one genera Sciurus (Squireels); 2. Hystricidae with one species - Hysrix leucura (Crested porcupine); 3. Myocastoridae - 1 species Myocastor coypus (Coypu); 4. Gliridae with 2 species of 2 genera - Glis glis ( Fat dormouse) and Dryomys nitedula (Forest dormouse); 5. Dipodidae with 2 species - Allactaga elater (Small five-toed jerboa) and A.euphratica (Small-Asian five-toed jerboa); 6. Muridae with 4 genera (Rattus - 2 species, Mus - 2, Apodemus - 5, 6. Micromys - 1); 7. Cricetidae with 8 genera, from which Calomyscus, Cricetulus, Mesocricetus, Ellobius, Arvicola have one representative, Meriones - 5, Microtus - 6, Chionomys - 3.

The family Cricetidae is the most numerous by composition and includes 8 genera and 19 species. The family Muridae stands on the second place according to this indicator, having 4 genera and 9 species. Namely representatives of these two families form the basis of the rodentfauna of Azerbaijan. 

Distribution of different species on territory and their numbers vary (maps). Mus musculus (Eastern house mouse), Rattus norvegicus (Brown rat), Apodemus (Sylvaemus) uralensis (Pygmy field mouse), A.(S.)fulvipectus (Yellow belly mouse), Cricetulus migratorius (Grey hamster), Arvicola terrestris (Water vole) are wide-spread, common and numerous rodents. They inhabit practically all typical landscapes to 2300-3500 m.

Numerous Microtus socialis (Social or steppe vole), Allactaga elater (Small five-toed jerboa), A.euphratica (Small-asian five-toed jerboa), Meriones libyca (Libyan jird) and M. tristrami (Tristram's jird), besides the above-indicated species, form the population basis in semi-deserts, foothills and mountain steppes. Libyan jird is numerous in foothills of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus and in the Kura-Araz Plain. Tristram's jird is abundant in foothills and plateau of the Talysh (Eigelis 1980).

Three other species of Meriones considerably give up place to the above-mentioned jirds according to areas and numbers, inhabiting the south arid districts. M.persicus (Persian jird) lives in south-eastern foothills of the Lesser Caucasus and in the Talysh Plateau. M.vinogradovi (Vinogradov's jird) is numerous in Nakhichevan Republic. M.meridianus (Meridian jird) is rare there too.

Mesocricetus brandti (Brandti's hamster) rarely was met in arid plateau of Talysh and in the western Dzheyranchirl steppe. Calomyscus urartensis (Long-tailed hamster) was found only in South Nakhichevan. Ellobius lutescens (Mole vole) lives only in upper Talysh and in Northern Nakhichevan. Mus abbotti (Abbot's mouse) was discovered in dry biotops too. 

In all mountainous areas of Azerbaijan, besides above-mentioned 6 wide-distributed species, Glis glis (Fat dormouse), Dryomys nitedula (Forest dormouse), Microtus arvalis (Common vole) are common and numerous. Chionomys nivalis (European snow vole) inhabits only in mountains of the Talysh and Lesser Caucasus (from 1200-1600 m and more). Ch.gud (Caucasian snow vole) lives in the sub- and alpine meadows of the Greater Caucasus and Ch.roberti (Robert's snow vole) is too, but below (800-2000 m). Sylvaemus ponticus (Caucasian forest mouse) seldom was met there. A.agrarius (Striped field mouse) and Micromys minutus (Harvest mouse) live in the north-eastern Azerbaijan.

Microtus schelkovnikovi (Shelkovnikov's vole) and Sylvaemus hyrcanicus (Hyrcan forest mouse) inhabit the Lencoran district. Microtus (Terricola) daghestanicus (Dagestan vole) was revealed in the arid part of the Chief Caucasian Range (eastern part) and Little Caucasus (south-western Azerbaijan). M.(T.) majori (Caucasian pine vole) is common in all mountains, except the Talysh. M.(T.) nazarovi (Nazarov's vole) is noted in Murovdag of the Lesser Caucasus.The same distribution in the forests of these mountain regions is for Sciurus anomalus (Persian squirrel). S.vulgaris (Red squirrel) was found recently inGreat Caucasus and Absheron peninsula (Askerov, Aliev 2001).

Finally, both in mesofile (Lenkoran region) and in arid subtropics (central plain and foothill parts of Azerbaijan, steppes of Little Caucasus) rare Hystrix leucura (Crested porcupine) habitats. Rattus rattus (House rat) seldom was met in the Lenkoran and Samur-Divichi lowlands, in moist sections of the Kura-Araz Plain, Alazan-Agrychai Valley, in the Absheron.

Myocastor coypus (Coypu) was delivered in Azerbaijan in 1930-th years. Now it has assimilated vast shallow waters almost all lowland areas and firmly entered into Azerbaijan fauna.

Rodents, as in the hole world, carry as positive functions, being nourishment of many carnivore animals, and playing an essential role in soil-forming. In spite of these positive sides, their harm to forest, agriculture and housekeeping economies, and by transfer of agents of dangerous sickness man and animals (plague, malignant anthrax, etc.) forces to limit their number.

Map [5] [6] [7] [8]