Oryzomys couesi, also known as Coues's rice rat, is a semiaquatic rodent in the family Cricetidae occurring from southernmost Texas through Mexico and Central America into northwestern Colombia. It is usually found in wet habitats, such as marshes, but also lives in drier forests and shrublands. Weighing about 43 to 82 g, O. couesi is a medium-sized to large rat. The coarse fur is buff to reddish above and white to buff below. The hindfeet show some specializations for life in the water, such as reduced ungual tufts of hair around the digits. It has 56 chromosomes. There is much geographic variation in size, proportions, color, and skull features. Oryzomys couesi is active during the night and builds nests of vegetation that are suspended among reeds about 1 m (3.3 ft) above the ground. It is an excellent swimmer and dives well, but can also climb in vegetation. An omnivore, it eats both plant and animal food, including seeds and insects. It breeds throughout the year; females give birth to about four young after a pregnancy of 21 to 28 days. The species may be infected by several different parasites and by two hantaviruses.
Oryzomys is a genus of semiaquatic rodents in the tribe Oryzomyini living in southern North America and far northern South America. It includes eight species, two of which—the marsh rice rat (O. palustris) of the United States and O. couesi of Mexico and Central America—are widespread; the six others have more restricted distributions. The species have had eventful taxonomic histories, and most species were at one time included in the marsh rice rat; additional species may be recognized in the future. The name Oryzomys was established in 1857 by Spencer Fullerton Baird for the marsh rice rat and was soon applied to over a hundred species of American rodents. Subsequently, the genus gradually became more narrowly defined until its current contents were established in 2006, when ten new genera were established for species previously placed in Oryzomys.
Sooretamys angouya, also known as the rat-headed rice rat, and Paraguayan rice rat, is a rodent species from South America. It is found in northeastern Argentina, southern Brazil and Paraguay in forested areas within the Atlantic Forest and cerrado. Since 2006, it has been classified as the only species in the genus Sooretamys; previously, it was included in the genus Oryzomys. Its taxonomic history has been complex, with the names Oryzomys angouya, Oryzomys buccinatus, and Oryzomys ratticeps in use for various parts of the species at different times. Some variation in its karyotype has been reported, with 2n = 80 to 82 and FN = 88 to 90.
Oecomys auyantepui, also known as the Guianan oecomys and north Amazonian arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys from South America. It is found in Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and nearby regions of Venezuela and Brazil. It is an arboreal rodent known from the understory of primary rainforest, found at altitudes from sea level to 1100 m.
Oecomys paricola, also known as the Brazilian oecomys, Brazilian arboreal rice rat, or South Amazonian arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in central Brazil south of the Amazon, where it lives in lowland tropical rainforest.
Oecomys trinitatis, also known as the long-furred oecomys, long-furred rice rat, Trinidad arboreal rice rat, or big arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. As currently constituted, it has a wide distribution in Central America and South America, being found in southern Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, much of Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru.
Oligoryzomys fulvescens, also known as the fulvous colilargo, fulvous pygmy rice rat, or northern pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found from southern Mexico through Central America into South America, where it occurs south into Peru and Brazil, and includes numerous synonyms, including the type species of the genus, Oryzomys navus Bangs, 1899. The taxonomy of this species is unresolved, and it may be found to contain more than one species. Its karyotype has 2n = 54-60 and FNa = 68–74.
Oligoryzomys stramineus, also known as the straw-colored colilargo or straw-colored pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of the family Cricetidae. It occurs only in the cerrado and caatinga ecoregions of northeastern Brazil. Its karyotype has 2n = 52 and FNa = 68-70.
Melanomys caliginosus, also known as the dusky melanomys or dusky rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Melanomys of family Cricetidae. It is found from Central America, in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, into South America, where it occurs in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. Populations currently classified under M. caliginosus may in fact include more than one species.
Nesoryzomys fernandinae, also known as the Fernandina nesoryzomys, Fernandina rice rat, or Fernandina Galápagos mouse, is a species of rodent in the genus Nesoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found only on Fernandina in the Galápagos Islands, which it shares with N. indefessus narboroughi. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. The conservation status of this endemic species continues to be investigated.
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.
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.
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.
Oryzomys dimidiatus, also known as the Nicaraguan oryzomys, Thomas's rice rat, or the Nicaraguan rice rat, is a rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is known from only three specimens, all collected in southeastern Nicaragua since 1904. Placed in Nectomys upon its discovery, it was later classified in its own subgenus of Oryzomys and finally recognized as closely related to other species now placed in Oryzomys, including the marsh rice rat and Coues' rice rat, which occurs in the same region.
Nephelomys keaysi, also known as Keays's oryzomys or Keays's rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Nephelomys of family Cricetidae. It is found from southeastern Peru to northern Bolivia on the eastern slope of the Andes in Yungas humid forest at altitudes of 1000 to 2600 m. Although its continued existence is not in serious danger and it is listed as "least concern", destruction of its habitat may pose a threat to some populations.
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.
Tanyuromys aphrastus, known as the long-tailed sigmodontomys, Harris's rice water rat, or the long-tailed rice rat, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is known from Costa Rica, Panama, and Ecuador. In 2012, it was reassigned to its current genus from Sigmodontomys.
Zygodontomys brunneus, also known as the brown zygodont, brown cane mouse, or Colombian cane mouse, is a rodent species in the genus Zygodontomys of tribe Oryzomyini. It is found only in Colombia.
Euryoryzomys macconnelli, also known as MacConnell's rice rat or MacConnell's oryzomys, is a rodent species from South America. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela, where it lives in lowland tropical rainforest. It was formerly placed in the genus Oryzomys, as Oryzomys macconnelli, but in 2006 it was reclassified as the type species of the new genus Euryoryzomys.
In mammals, ungual tufts are tufts of hairs at the base of claws of the forefeet and hindfeet. Their presence has been used as a character in cladistic studies of the Cricetidae, a large family of rodents.
