How different really are rabbits (leporidae/lepus, lagomorpha) from rodents?

[Nao57]

I'd heard for awhile people say that rabbits aren't really in the same grouping as rodents. I very much hope that is true.

But how much different really? And I hoped to get more details on this with the rest of you, and see what you thought?

For humans farming or eating rodents is disgusting, in part because we've been programmed to think they are disgusting as part of the middle ages black plagues, and sicknesses that went through Europe and Asia, with devastasting consequences. Rodents are also germ elevators in that they can carry and act as vectors for illnesses that are transferrable to humans. (So this lends credibility to wondering how different rodents are from rabbits.)

Would like to hear your thoughts on this.

I felt a little worried about this too.

 

[Kusanar]

Here is the evolutinary tree with rabbits in the dark grey and rodents in light grey

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.190387

Also nothing actually wrong with eating rodents...

 

[secuono]

People eat rats, cuy, pidgeon, snakes and other odd things. Even roaches, grubs and worms are eaten.
If its healthy n clean before the kill, then cooked right, its fine.

 

[misfitmorgan]

Kingdom - Animalia
Phylum - Chordata
Class - Mammalia
Infraclass - Placentalia
Superorder - Euarchontoglires
Further separated into - Glires
Rabbits are of the family - Lagomorpha
Rodents are of the family - Rodentia

So fairly close. I dont see rats as dirty, I've had pet rats and they were very clean. Humans are the ones that make rats dirty and have diseases. Our trash, poor sanitation and intrusion into natural habitat make rats dirty and diseased. Rats and other rodents in the wild are clean, they clean themselves several times a day and carry less parasites and viruses then dogs or cats.

Do i want to eat rodents, not really though i dont se anything wrong with other eating them. I do eat rabbits, I would have to assume they taste pretty similar.

Edited to add, rats and cats were both blamed for spreading the black plague. Cats did indeed help spread it but not so much, mostly it spread person to person from fleas or lice living on people didnt have a lot to do with the rats.

 

[Nao57]

Thanks.