American spiny mice
| American spiny mice | ||||||||||||
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| Scolomys | ||||||||||||
| Anthony , 1924 |
The American spiny mice ( Scolomys ) are a species of rodent living in South America from the group of the New World mice . They are of two types.
These rodents reach a head body length of 8 to 10 centimeters, the tail is relatively short with 5 to 7 centimeters, the weight is 20 to 33 grams. The fur consists of flattened spines all over the body, which are mixed with longer, soft hair. They are brown on the back and gray on the belly, the paws are whitish.
American spiny mice live in western South America in Ecuador , Peru and western Brazil . Their habitat are deeper rainforests. Both species are known only from a few finds, so their way of life is accordingly unknown. An animal's stomach contents consisted of seeds, spiders, and insects.
There are two types:
- Scolomys melanops lives in eastern Ecuador and northeastern Peru.
- Scolomys ucayalensis is native to eastern Peru and the far west of Brazil.
Due to the destruction of their already small living space both types of the are IUCN as endangered ( endangered ) listed.
Although the American prickly mice are outwardly similar to the prickly rice rats ( Neacomys ), this similarity is probably due to convergence . Their systematic position within the Sigmodontinae is unclear.
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 .
Web links
- Endangerment level of the individual species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .