Most genera feed on plant material and invertebrates. Some take small vertebrates, including fish. Seeds and other plant matter are sometimes stored for winter use. Some members of this family are gregarious, even highly social, while others tend to live alone or in pairs. Breeding may occur throughout the year in warm regions.
Females often produce several litters annually.
Most individuals probably live less than two years in the wild. Nonetheless, the high reproductive potential of certain species, especially the microtines, sometimes results in remarkable numerical increases. Peak populations are often followed by a sudden crash in numbers when food supplies in a given area are exhausted. These fluctuations may show a rather cyclic periodicity of around three or four years. Several diseases, such as plague, tularemia, leptospirosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, can be transmitted from murid rodents to people.