Alfaro water rat

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Alfaro water rat
Systematics
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Sigmodontinae
Oryzomyalia
Tribe : Oryzomyini
Genre : Alfaro water rats
Type : Alfaro water rat
Scientific name of the  genus
Sigmodontomys
Allen , 1897
Scientific name of the  species
Sigmodontomys alfari
Allen, 1897

The Alfaro water rat or short-tailed water rat ( Sigmodontomys Alfari ) is in Central and South America living rodent species from the group of New world .

features

They reach a head-torso length of 11.5 to 15 centimeters, to which a tail 15 to 19 centimeters long is added. Their fur is colored reddish brown on the upper side, the underside is light gray, the tail is monochrome brown or black.

distribution

Alfaro water rat is common from Honduras to Colombia to Venezuela and Ecuador , where it inhabits deeper, humid habitats . Otherwise, little is known about their way of life.

Way of life

These animals are rodents adapted to aquatic life. However, they are much less specialized than the related Nectomys squamipes , which even has webbed toes.

Taxonomy and systematics

Despite the external similarities with the Neotropical water rats ( Nectomys ), to which the Alfaro water rat has already been counted by some authors, it is likely to be more closely related to the dark rice rats ( Melanomys ).

Previously, two species were placed in the genus Sigmodontomys :

  • The Alfaro water rat Sigmodontomys alfari is the more widespread of the two species, it lives from Honduras to South America and has a reddish brown or brown fur.
  • The long-tailed water rat ( Tanyuromys aphrastus ) is known of only a few animals found in Costa Rica , Panama and Ecuador . Their fur is yellow-brown and their tail is exceptionally long (24 centimeters, with a head-trunk length of 15 centimeters). It lives in the highlands at altitudes between 1275 and 2000 meters. In 2012 a separate genus was established for the long-tailed water rat described by Harris in 1934 . Due to the lack of data, the species is listed by the IUCN under “ data deficient ”.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b John F. Eisenberg & Kent H. Redford: Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 3: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil. 1st edition, University Of Chicago Press, 2000, pp. 401 ISBN 0-226-19542-2
  2. ↑ Sigmodontomys alfari in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Listed by: Anderson, RP, Tirira, D., Samudio, R. & Timm, R., 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  3. ^ A b Ronald H. Pine, Robert M. Timm & Marcelo Weksler: A newly recognized clade of trans-Andean Oryzomyini (Rodentia: Cricetidae), with description of a new genus. Journal of Mammalogy, 93, 3, pp. 851-870, 2012
  4. ↑ Tanyuromys aphrastus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: Samudio, R., Pino, J., Timm, R. & Woodman, N., 2008. Retrieved January 31, 2014.

literature

  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
  • Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .

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