Fish rats
| Fish rats | ||||||||||||
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Stolzmann fish rat ( Ichthyomys proudmanni ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ichthyomyini | ||||||||||||
| Vorontsov , 1959 |
The fish rats (Ichthyomyini) are a tribe of the New World mice , which is characterized by an extraordinary adaptation to aquatic life. The species are carnivores and feed mainly on aquatic insects and crustaceans, the larger also on small fish. Fish rats have numerous parallels to the swimming rats of Australia and New Guinea, which, however, are not closely related, but have developed very similarly in convergent evolution .
Depending on the species, fish rats reach a head-trunk length of 9 to 21 centimeters, the tail is 9 to 19 centimeters long. Their fur is dark brown or gray-black in color, the underside is lighter. The adaptations to the aquatic way of life include the reduced eyes and ears and the closable nostrils. The hind feet are enlarged and the toes are webbed, the tail is often flattened.
Fish rats are native to Central and Northern South America, their range extends from southern Mexico to northern Brazil and Peru . Their habitat is mostly on the banks of rivers, sometimes also swamp areas. They occur at heights of up to 3800 meters. They build their shelters on the bank and hunt prey in the water.
The fish rats comprise five genera with a total of 16 species:
- Neusticomys , 5 species
- Ecuador fish rat ( Anotomys leander )
- Chibcha water mice ( Chibchanomys ), 2 species
- Actual fish rats ( Ichthyomys ), 4 species
- Central American water mice ( Rheomys ), 4 species
The genus Neusticomys shows the least, the Central American water mice the highest adaptations to aquatic life.
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 .