Here is the puzzle so far:

Rese---in- a s-a-- s-uirre- -ith -ar-e ears and a tu-te- tai-, these rodents are so--ti-es -e-erred to as the -oor -ans -hin-hi--a. It is the -o-t
-o--on -a--a- in -hi-e, nu--erin- -ore th-n 100 -er a-re. The- ha-e -ar-e,
-ri-ht, dar- e-es and -o-- -hi--ers. The -ur i- so-t to the tou-h and -ro-n -o -ra- -ro-n i- -o-or -ith a -a-er shade o- -e---- -ro-n -ound a-o-e -nd -e-o- the e-es. The -e--- hair is -re--- -e--o-. The tai- is -ra-i-e and
-an e-si-- se-erate -ro- th- -od-. The -rindin- sur-a-- o- the --ee- teeth rese---es a -i-ure ei-ht sha-e, -i-in- the -a-i-- it's s-ienti-i- na-e,
O-todontidae, -eanin- "ei-ht teeth. " The- en-o- ta-i-- dust -aths. The- are
-u-i--- -e-o--i-- a -a-orite -o--anio- a-on- ani--- -o-ers, ho-e--r the- are i--e-a- in so-e states.


He-e is a hint: I o-n -our o- the-.
--ster- ani--- is?


Here are the points:
AmberLee-32N's,49 T's,47 I's=94 total points =175
Fuzzy317-11U's=22,39H's points=50
CincysMom-32S's,43O's=86,87E's-174 points=292
Momoffuzzyfaces-51A's-102,15D's points=153
Randi-41R's points=41