Colombian rice rat

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Colombian rice rat
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Sigmodontinae
Genus: Handleyomys
Species:
H. intectus
Binomial name
Handleyomys intectus
(Thomas, 1921)
Synonyms

Oryzomys intectus Thomas, 1921

The Colombian rice rat (Handleyomys intectus), also known as the white-footed Handley's mouse [2] is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae occurring only in Colombia. It was previously included in Oryzomys , but closely resembles the dusky montane rat, and accordingly both species were placed in the new genus Handleyomys in 2002. [3]

Contents

Description

This is a medium-sized rat, with adults measuring 9 to 12 centimetres (3.5 to 4.7 in) in head-body length, with a tail of about the same length, and weighing from 17 to 34 grams (0.60 to 1.20 oz). The fur is soft and brownish-grey over the most of the body, gradually fading to a grizzled dark grey on the underparts. Unlike its closest relative, the dusky montane rat, the almost-hairless tail has the same dark colour on both upper and lower surfaces, and unlike most other related species, the female has only six teats, instead of eight. [4] It has no gall bladder. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The Colombian rice rat is found only in the Cordillera Central in northwestern Colombia, from Antioquia Department in the north to Valle del Cauca Department in the south. It inhabits cloud forests and neighbouring cropland and pasture between 1,500 and 2,800 metres (4,900 and 9,200 ft) elevation, an environment that is typically cold but very humid. [3]

Biology and behaviour

The species is nocturnal and travels on the forest floor rather than climbing trees. [3] Little is known of its biology, but young have been identified in both the dry and rainy seasons. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigmodontinae</span> Subfamily of rodents

The rodent subfamily Sigmodontinae includes New World rats and mice, with at least 376 species. Many authorities include the Neotominae and Tylomyinae as part of a larger definition of Sigmodontinae. When those genera are included, the species count numbers at least 508. Their distribution includes much of the New World, but the genera are predominantly South American, such as brucies. They invaded South America from Central America as part of the Great American Interchange near the end of the Miocene, about 5 million years ago. Sigmodontines proceeded to diversify explosively in the formerly isolated continent. They inhabit many of the same ecological niches that the Murinae occupy in the Old World.

Handleyomys fuscatus, also known as the dusky-footed Handley's mouse or dusky-footed montane mouse, is a species of rodent in the tribe Oryzomyini of family Cricetidae. It was previously placed in the genus Aepeomys, but it is closely similar to Handleyomys intectus, and accordingly both species were placed in the new genus Handleyomys in 2002. It is found only in Colombia.

Microryzomys minutus, also known as the montane colilargo or the forest small rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Microryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, but these populations may represent more than one species.

The montane fish-eating rat is a species of semiaquatic rodent in the family Cricetidae. It inhabits the Andes Mountains of Colombia and Ecuador.

Oecomys speciosus, also known as the savannah oecomys, arboreal rice rat, or Venezuelan arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It ranges over northeastern Colombia and much of Venezuela, including the island of Trinidad. This rodent lives in tropical rainforest and tropical dry forest, including secondary forest and gallery forest, as well as in savanna habitat.

Nephelomys albigularis, also known as the white-throated oryzomys or Tomes's rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Nephelomys of family Cricetidae. Described in 1860, it was the first Nephelomys species to be discovered. It was originally described in the defunct genus Hesperomys as Hesperomys albigularis and considered related to the much smaller H. longicaudatus. By 1894, it was placed in Oryzomys, as Oryzomys albigularis, and associated with what is now Nephelomys meridensis. In the early 1960s, the scope of the species was considerably expanded to include most of the species that are now in Nephelomys, as well as a single name, boliviae, that is currently a synonym of Euryoryzomys nitidus. From 1976 on, several of these were reinstated as separate species.

<i>Handleyomys alfaroi</i> Species of rodent

Handleyomys alfaroi, also known as Alfaro's rice rat or Alfaro's oryzomys, is a species of rodent in the genus Handleyomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. It was previously included in Oryzomys as Oryzomys alfaroi. Its natural habitats are subtropical and tropical lowland or montane dry forests at elevations ranging from sea level to 2500 m.

Oreoryzomys balneator, also known as the Peruvian rice rat or Ecuadoran oryzomys, is a species of rodent in the tribe Oryzomyini of family Cricetidae. It is found in Ecuador and northern Peru in cloud forest at elevations from 1500 to 1800 m. It is the only species in the genus Oreoryzomys, which was included in Oryzomys until 2006. The genus name Oreoryzomys is a combination of ορος the Greek word for "mountain" with the old genus name Oryzomys and refers to the mountainous habitat of O. balneator. Recent research suggests that O. balneator is not closely related to Oryzomys, but instead is probably related to Microryzomys within a clade also including Neacomys and Oligoryzomys.

<i>Transandinomys bolivaris</i> Small rodent found from northeastern Honduras to western Ecuador

Transandinomys bolivaris, also known as the long-whiskered rice rat, is a rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in humid forest from northeastern Honduras to western Ecuador, up to 1,800 m (5,900 ft) above sea level. Since it was first described in 1901 from Ecuador, six scientific names have been introduced for it, but their common identity was not documented until 1998 and the species has long been known under the name Oryzomys bombycinus, described from Panama in 1912. The name Oryzomys bolivaris was used before it was moved to the new genus Transandinomys with Transandinomys talamancae in 2006.

<i>Handleyomys chapmani</i> Species of rodent

Handleyomys chapmani, also known as Chapman's oryzomys or Chapman's rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Handleyomys of family Cricetidae. It is found only in Mexico. It was previously placed in Oryzomys as Oryzomys chapmani, but has been provisionally transferred to the genus Handleyomys pending the description of a new genus to contain it.

<i>Nephelomys devius</i> Species of rodent

Nephelomys devius, also known as the Talamancan oryzomys, Boquete rice rat, Chiriqui rice rat, or montane rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Nephelomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in cloud forest in the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama.

<i>Oryzomys gorgasi</i> Rodent from the family Cricetidae from northwestern Colombia and Venezuela

Oryzomys gorgasi, also known as Gorgas's oryzomys or Gorgas's rice rat, is a rodent in the genus Oryzomys of family Cricetidae. First recorded in 1967, it is known from only a few localities, including a freshwater swamp in the lowlands of northwestern Colombia and a mangrove islet in northwestern Venezuela. It reportedly formerly occurred on the island of Curaçao off northwestern Venezuela; this extinct population has been described as a separate species, Oryzomys curasoae, but does not differ morphologically from mainland populations.

Handleyomys melanotis, also known as the black-eared oryzomys or black-eared rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Handleyomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in coastal lowland forest in western Mexico.

Handleyomys rhabdops, also known as the highland oryzomys or striped rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Handleyomys of family Cricetidae. It is nocturnal and is found in Guatemala and Mexico in montane forest at elevations from 1250 to 3250 m.

Handleyomys rostratus, also known as the long-nosed oryzomys, long-nosed rice rat, or rusty rice rat is a species of rodent in the genus Handleyomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua. It is nocturnal and is found in forests at elevations above sea level to 1200 meters. The Handleyomys rostratus attains its highest level of development in south and Central America. High rates of deforestation and habitat destruction are the biggest threat to the Handleyomys rostratus.

Handleyomys saturatior, also known as the cloud forest oryzomys or cloud forest rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Handleyomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua in cloud forest at elevations from 750 to 2500 m. It was previously placed in the genus Oryzomys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oryzomyini</span> Tribe of rodents

Oryzomyini is a tribe of rodents in the subfamily Sigmodontinae of the family Cricetidae. It includes about 120 species in about thirty genera, distributed from the eastern United States to the southernmost parts of South America, including many offshore islands. It is part of the clade Oryzomyalia, which includes most of the South American Sigmodontinae.

<i>Transandinomys</i> Genus of small rodents from Central and South America

Transandinomys is a genus of rodents in the tribe Oryzomyini of family Cricetidae. It includes two species—T. bolivaris and T. talamancae—found in forests from Honduras in Central America south and east to southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Venezuela in northern South America. Until 2006, its members were included in the genus Oryzomys, but phylogenetic analysis showed that they are not closely related to the type species of that genus, and they have therefore been placed in a new genus. They may be most closely related to genera like Hylaeamys and Euryoryzomys, which contain very similar species. Both species of Transandinomys have had eventful taxonomic histories.

<i>Handleyomys</i> Genus of rodents

Handleyomys is a genus of Central and South American rodents in the tribe Oryzomyini of family Cricetidae. It was first described in 2002 to include two species from the Colombian Andes which were previously included in distinct and unrelated genera, Aepeomys and Oryzomys, but which turned out to be closely related. Later, in 2006, six other species were provisionally added from Oryzomys; these are expected to be placed in new genera in the future.

In some rodents, squamae are small tubercles resembling scales on the sole of the hindfeet. Among oryzomyine rodents, their development is variable; most have well-developed squamae, but in others they are indistinct or entirely absent. Delomys sublineatus and Peromyscus maniculatus also have squamae.

References

  1. Gómez-Laverde, M. & Delgado, C. (2016). "Handleyomys intectus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T15598A22328547. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T15598A22328547.en . Retrieved 26 May 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 894–1531. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Voss, R.S.; Gómez-Laverde, M.; Pacheco Torres, V.R. (2002). "A new genus for Aepeomys fuscatus Allen, 1912, and Oryzomys intectus Thomas, 1921 : enigmatic murid rodents from Andean cloud forests". American Museum Novitates (3373): 1–42. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2002)373<0001:ANGFAF>2.0.CO;2. hdl:2246/2862. S2CID   53477868 . Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  4. 1 2 Vargas, L.M.; Ramírez-Chaves, H.E.; Velazco, P.M. (August 2019). "Handleyomys intectus (Rodentia: Cricetidae)". Mammalian Species. 51 (975): 34–39. doi: 10.1093/mspecies/sez007 .