Mexico water mouse
| Mexico water mouse | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Rheomys mexicanus | ||||||||||||
| Goodwin , 1959 |
The Mexico water mouse ( Rheomys mexicanus ) is a rodent in the genus of Central American water mice that is found in southern Mexico .
features
The clearest distinguishing feature from other members of the genus is the brownish fur in contrast to the gray fur of other species. It is made up of long hair that is light brown to orange brown on top. The darkest areas are on the rump and the lightest on the shoulders. The Mexico water mouse has light yellow-brown fur on the underside with the exception of the white fingers and toes. On the tail there is a clear border between the brown top and the white underside. In contrast, the tip of the tail is also white on top. The species reaches a head-trunk length of 105 to 148 mm and a tail length of 131 to 171 mm. It has hind feet 32 to 42 mm long and ears 6 to 8 mm long. Weight information is missing.
distribution
The Mexico water mouse has a small distribution area on the western slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur mountains in the Mexican state of Oaxaca . It can be found in the lowlands and in areas up to 2200 meters altitude. Cloud forests and cloud forests serve as habitats as well as other deciduous, mixed or coniferous forests in deeper areas.
Way of life
The species is bound to smaller watercourses and avoids large rivers. It is also very sensitive to contamination. Individual specimens have been spotted in small ponds. The Mexico water mouse is nocturnal and hunts aquatic insects and their larvae. Occasionally fish scales are registered in the stomach and animals in captivity ate small fish. The female, which is considered to be the holotype of the species, was pregnant with two embryos .
threat
Deforestation in connection with landscape changes and the pollution of streams are the greatest threats to the population. Until 2018, the Mexico water mouse was only known from four different sites and it is assumed that the range is not contiguous. The size of the area is estimated at 4250 km². The IUCN lists the species as Endangered .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Rheomys mexicanus ).
- ↑ a b c Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 7 - Rodents II . Lynx Edicions, 2017, ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 , pp. 407 (English).
- ↑ a b c d Rheomys mexicanus in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2018. Posted by: Timm, R., Álvarez-Castañeda, ST & Lacher, T., 2017. Accessed June 17, 2020.