Rodent

A hunter's nightmare... The worst thing you can do is underestimate them because of their small size. They're incredibly fast, agile and always run in packs. When you feel dozens of small fangs tearing into you - that's when you stop underestimatin' and start shootin'... And that's the scariest part: they're extremely hard to hit. That's why I always tell stalkers to carry a loaded shotgun.
― Gonta's description

The Rodent (ru. Тушкан), also known as Hamster in Call of Pripyat, is a type of mutant found in the Zone appearing in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. Stalkers often refer to them as 'Tushkano'.

Characteristics[]

In fact these animals are not related to jerboas, although there is a distinct resemblance. Attempts at determining the exact species from which this rodent evolved have so far been unsuccessful, although its ancestor must have been a gregarious rodent. Reaching up to 40cm at the shoulder, the animal is far more dexterous, aggressive and ravenous than its desert cousin. Mutant rodents live mainly in basements of destroyed buildings, feeding on everything they can get their teeth in, from plants to careless stalkers. Occasionally a pack of rodents will attack and kill large animals and mutants, tearing them apart before they can escape.
― Shadow of Chernobyl PDA description

Determining the species from which the Zone's rodents developed has so far proved impossible although it can be said with certainty that their ancestors were gregarious mammals. Although these animals are similar with jerboas in appearance, there is no relation between them. Although some stalkers like Inquisitor, a mutant zoo keeper, refers to them as jerboas.

As evidenced in Lab X-18, it is suggested a good number these rodents were originally test subjects before the Chernobyl incident. After high dosages of radiation transformed these beasts into what they are now, the mutated rodents most likely escaped and now wreak havoc in the Zone.

Physiology[]

The Rodent is a quadrupedal animal reaching up to 40cm at the shoulder. They have large claws that can scratch big marks into Stalkers. Having frail and bony bodies, any weapon will do in disposing of them. Almost all hair has fallen out and only tightly wrapped skin can be seen.

Behavior[]

Rodents are more mobile, aggressive, and ravenous than the normal desert animal. They live mainly in basements and destroyed buildings while feeding on everything they can get their teeth in, from plants to careless stalkers. It is not known if other mutants attack or eat rodents, but both their bones and dead bodies can often be seen around the entrances to burrows that some mutants use. Sometimes, rodents attack and kill big animals and mutants in a large group, tearing them apart before they can escape.

Rodents aren't very dangerous to the player on their own, but can become a danger when attacking in numbers. Due to their small size and mobility, it can be quite difficult to hit rodents even though they can be easily disposed of due to their low health and poor protection. The best way to eliminate rodents is to attack them at close range with shotguns, or with burst fire from automatic weapons such as assault rifles. Well placed hand grenades and even impact grenades (VOG-25, VOG-25R, M209 Grenade) can also be used to kill them, although they should be used at a great distance from the player to prevent self-inflicted damage.

Appearances[]

Shadow of Chernobyl[]

In Shadow of Chernobyl, they tend to appear only in certain areas, such as the Wild Territory and the Dark Valley. They may inhabit Lab X-18 and Lab X-16 after visiting the labs and deactivating the Brain Scorcher. They sometimes migrate to the Army Warehouses. Rodents may be also found in Pripyat, mainly around the Stadium. A small pack of them can usually be found hiding in and around the bus stop on the road to the railway bridge in Cordon.

Note that if the player revisits either the Dark Valley or the Wild Territory while running patch 1.0005 they are very common. One can also run into them near the Army Warehouses occasionally. In older versions of Shadow of Chernobyl, namely 1.0.0.0 and 1.0.0.1, an encounter with pack of rodents was a rarity. Patch 1.0.0.4 addressed this issue, adding more spawn points for these mutants.

The Freedom leader Lukash based in Army Warehouses gives an optional side mission Destroy the herd of rodents as a part of his elimination mission line.

Clear Sky[]

In Clear Sky, they are almost only seen in the Agroprom Underground hopelessly fleeing in droves when Scar flooded the underground at the request of General Krylov. They don't really attack Scar but prove to be a nuisance since they slow Scar down while making his way to the ladder.

Bodies of dead rodents have also been spotted in Agroprom, in the small camp on the hill south of the main duty outpost. They are most likely to have climbed up of the hole nearby.

Call of Pripyat[]

In Call of Pripyat, rodents can be encountered in all open areas of the zone. They can be seen roaming in packs in Jupiter and Pripyat most notably during night. However, they are a rare sight in Zaton.

There is a large amount of them inside the Jupiter Underground that the player will have to fight during their trip through the underground. A number of them can also be found inside the Department Store in Pripyat, and inside Lab X-8.