White-footed climbing mouse

Last updated

White-footed climbing mouse
Hesperomys (Rhipidomys) sclateri (cropped).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Sigmodontinae
Genus: Rhipidomys
Species:
R. leucodactylus
Binomial name
Rhipidomys leucodactylus
Tschudi, 1844

The white-footed climbing mouse (Rhipidomys leucodactylus) is a species of South American rodent found in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. [1] It is the type species of the genus and the type location was the lower eastern slopes of the Andes in central Peru. [2]

Contents

Description

With a head-and-body length of 180 mm (7 in), the white-footed climbing mouse is the largest species in the genus. The dorsal fur is typically medium brown, with the hairs being banded in yellowish and reddish hues, and long dark guard hairs being scattered throughout the coat. The flanks are rather paler and the underparts yellowish, cream or white, the hairs having grey bases. The tail is about the same length as the head-and-body and is densely clad in short reddish to dark brown fur and terminates with a long tuft of hair. The hind feet are large; the dorsal surface has a large dark patch which extends onto the first or second phalanges of digits II to V, and sometimes also onto digit I. The sides of the feet and around the toes are a silvery colour. [3]

Distribution and habitat

The white-footed climbing mouse is native to the rainforests of the Amazon Orinoco basin; it is present in the lowlands of west and central Brazil as well as the Andean piedmont area in eastern Bolivia and Venezuela. [3] In Peru, its upper altitudinal limit is 1,750 m (5,700 ft). [3] It is typically found in the canopy of trees growing in terra firme humid forest. [1]

Ecology

The white-footed climbing mouse normally lives in humid evergreen forests. It is a frugivore and has been found among crops, where it is considered a pest, and inside dwellings; it has been reported as gnawing a pineapple, eating sugarcane and yucca. Pregnant females with two or three embryos have been observed in Peru in August and September, and in Ecuador in September and November. One individual was nesting in a hole 15 m (50 ft) off the ground in a tree. [3]

Status

This is a generally uncommon species which has a very wide distribution. The population trend is unknown but the total population is assumed to be large and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated the animal's conservation status as being of "least concern". [1]

Related Research Articles

Neacomys spinosus, also known as the common neacomys, common bristly mouse, or bristly mouse, is a nocturnal rodent species from South America in the genus Neacomys. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, where it often lives in transition areas between lowland forest and open regions. Its diet consists of insects, seeds and fruit.

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".

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.

<i>Rhipidomys</i> Genus of rodents

Rhipidomys is a genus of rodents in the family Cricetidae, The following 24 species of climbing mouse species are currently recognised:

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 pleasant bolo mouse, or pleasant akodont, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found on grassland at high altitudes in Bolivia and Peru.

The dark bolo mouse or dark-furred akodont is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. There are two subspecies; one is found in eastern and central parts of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, and the other in coastal areas of southern Uruguay.

The spotted bolo mouse or Ecuadorian akodont is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is known from Ecuador and may also occur in Colombia. Little is known of its status and range.

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.

The Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat or golden-footed brush-furred rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Ethiopia where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

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.

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.

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.

The southern climbing mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia in forested valleys and on slopes on the eastern side of the Andes Mountains.

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 melanops, also known as the short-nosed scolomys, South American spiny mouse, Ecuadorian spiny mouse, 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 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.

The Paraguayan bolo mouse or Paraguayan akodont is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. According to the IUCN, it is present in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru, and possibly also in Argentina and Brazil. It is found at elevations from 300 to 2,030 m in a variety of habitats, including cerrado, chaco, and heath pampas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerrado climbing mouse</span> Species of rodent

The cerrado climbing mouse or long-tailed rhipidomys is an arboreal rodent species in the family Cricetidae from South America. It is found in primary or secondary forests of the cerrado and caatinga in central and eastern Brazil, and has also been seen in the Atlantic Forest. Its karyotype is 2n = 44, FN = 48-52. They are nocturnal animals and can be found in both tree canopies and on the ground.

The Peruvian climbing mouse or lesser Peruvian rhipidomys, is a South American species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to the eastern slopes of the Andes in central Peru, where it is found at altitudes from 700 to 1,800 metres. The species is nocturnal and arboreal, and lives in lower montane forest and cloud forest. It is threatened by forest clearance for agriculture and coca cultivation but is listed as a "least-concern species" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Patton, J.; Catzeflis, F.; Weksler, M.; Percequillo, A. (2008). "Rhipidomys leucodactylus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1169. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Patton, James L.; Pardiñas, Ulyses F.J.; D'Elía, Guillermo (2015). Mammals of South America, Volume 2: Rodents. University of Chicago Press. pp. 601–602. ISBN   978-0-226-16960-6.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.