Scolomys melanops | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Cricetidae |
Subfamily: | Sigmodontinae |
Genus: | Scolomys |
Species: | S. melanops |
Binomial name | |
Scolomys melanops Anthony, 1924 | |
Scolomys melanops, also known as the short-nosed scolomys, [2] South American spiny mouse, [1] Ecuadorian spiny mouse, [3] or gray spiny mouse, is a species of rodent in the genus Scolomys of family Cricetidae. It is a forest mouse and was thought to be endemic to Ecuador but it is now known to have a wider distribution, being also present in part of Peru.
The South American spiny mouse has a total length of between 135 and 167 mm (5.3 and 6.6 in) including a tail of 55 to 77 mm (2.2 to 3.0 in). It has a short, broad head, a small body and a nearly naked tail. The dorsal pelage is short and dense and consists of a mixture of slender hairs with reddish or blackish tips and stouter spines of the same length that are darker at the tip, giving a grizzled appearance. [4] The fur on the ventral surface has similar hairs and spines but they are a uniform grey colour. Morphologically this species is very similar to the closely related Ucayali spiny mouse (Scolomys ucayalensis). The differences are mostly in the skull characteristics and the dentition. The karyotype of S. melanops has 2n = 60 and FN = 78, while that of S. ucayalensis has 2n = 50, FN = 68. [4]
This species is found in Ecuador on the eastern side of the Andes and also near Iquitos in eastern Peru, at altitudes between about 150 and 1,200 m (500 and 3,900 ft). Its habitat is primary and secondary forest, forest fragments, and cropland near forest borders. It does not seem to be arboreal and little is known of its biology, but pregnant females have been seen in March and April. The nest often includes fibres from the undergrowth palm Lepidocaryum tenue and the litter size averages 2.5. [4]
S. melanops is thought to have a large range in the forests of tropical South America, and is thus presumed to have a large total population. It faces no particular threats, but deforestation may affect it locally. It lives in both primary and secondary forests and is present in several protected areas, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern". [1]
The Atlantic bamboo rat, or southern bamboo rat, is a spiny rat species found in humid tropical forests in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. It is the only member of the genus Kannabateomys.
Ruschi's rat or Ruschi's spiny mouse is a rodent species found in Argentina and Brazil. Some cranial features suggest it may be an archaic relative of the paramo Oldfield mouse. The upper parts are greyish yellow with a darker head and yellowish-white underparts. Fine hairs are mixed with flattened and grooved spines that are most numerous on the back.
Neacomys minutus, also known as the minute neacomys, the small bristly mouse, or the minute spiny mouse, is a rodent species from South America in the genus Neacomys. It is found in Brazil.
Gardner's climbing mouse is a rodent species from South America. It is found in western Brazil, southeastern Peru and northeastern Bolivia. It is an uncommon, arboreal species, but faces no particular threats so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as being a "least-concern species".
The white-footed climbing mouse is a species of South American rodent found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. It is the type species of the genus and the type location was the lower eastern slopes of the Andes in central Peru.
Scolomys ucayalensis, also known as the long-nosed scolomys or Ucayali spiny mouse is a nocturnal rodent species from South America. It is part of the genus Scolomys within the tribe Oryzomyini. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in various different habitats in the Amazon rainforest.
The Brazilian arboreal mouse is a South American rodent species of the family Cricetidae. It is found in the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil, often close to bamboo thickets. It can be distinguished from Rhagomys longilingua, the only other species in its genus, by the absence of spines among the hair. Formerly believed to be extinct after no sightings were recorded for over 100 years, the species has since been found in four localities. However, it is nowhere common, and all of these are forest fragments, and ongoing deforestation threatens the species' survival. For these reasons, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being "vulnerable".
The northern grass mouse, or northern akodont, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
The Colombian forest mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. Some authorities consider it to be the only species in the genus Chilomys, while others accept Chilomys fumeus as being a valid species, and it may form part of a species complex. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
Microryzomys altissimus, also known as the Páramo colilargo or highland small rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Microryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, but the Colombian segment may be a separate species.
Oligoryzomys destructor, also known as Tschudi's colilargo or the destructive pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found along the eastern Andes from southern Colombia, through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia into northern Argentina. Its karyotype has 2n = 60 and FNa = 76.
Coues's climbing mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. It is named in honour of the American zoologist Elliott Coues who studied birds and small mammals.
Scolomys is a genus of rodent in the tribe Oryzomyini of the family Cricetidae. Some evidence suggests that it is related to Zygodontomys. It is characterized, among other traits, by spiny fur. It contains two species, S. melanops and S. ucayalensis.
The golden Oldfield mouse or golden thomasomys is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Both the common and genus name commemorate the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas who worked at the Natural History Museum, London and studied South American rodents.
Muennink's spiny rat or Okinawa spiny rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. Endemic to Okinawa Island, Japan, its natural habitat is subtropical moist broadleaf forest. The karyotype has 2n = 44. Its sex chromosomes are abnormally large, while the other two species in Tokudaia have lost their Y chromosome. It is found only on the northern part of the island, above 300 m, and is thought to inhabit an area of less than 3 km2.
The Chinese jumping mouse is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is monotypic within the genus Eozapus. It is endemic to China where its natural habitat is temperate forests, steppes and meadows in mountainous regions. It is tolerant of some degree of habitat destruction, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The painted spiny pocket mouse is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is found in Mexico and the northern tip of Guatemala. It was formerly placed in the genus Liomys, which is now recognized to be paraphyletic and has been subsumed into Heteromys.
The eastern spiny mouse or Arabian spiny mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. They have a wide range, having been found in Middle Eastern deserts, as well as being prevalent in riverine forests in Africa. This is the only species of spiny mouse which may have black coloration. Their diet is similar to other species of spiny mouse, consisting mostly of seeds.
The Huanchaca mouse or Huanchaca akodont is a rodent species in the family Cricetidae. It is known from savannas in an area at an elevation of 700 metres (2,300 ft) in Serrania Huanchaca, Noel Kempff Mercado National Park in eastern Bolivia.
The long-tongued arboreal mouse is a South American rodent species of the family Cricetidae. It is found in a variety of habitats, including dense forest, in Bolivia and Peru at elevations from 450 to 2,100 metres on the eastern side of the Andes. The species is at least partly arboreal. It is distinguished from the Brazilian arboreal mouse, the only other known member of Rhagomys, by spiny fur and certain skull features such as the presence of beading in the interorbital region.