Sugar mice

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Sugar mice
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Sigmodontinae
Oryzomyalia
Tribe : Oryzomyini
Genre : Sugar mice
Scientific name
Zygodontomys
Allen , 1897

The sugar mice ( Zygodontomys ) are a species of rodent living in Central and South America from the group of New World mice with two species. They get their name because they sometimes invade sugar cane plantations and cause damage there.

Sugar mice reach a head body length of 10 to 16 centimeters, the tail is sometimes very short with 4 to 13 centimeters. The weight is 60 to 140 grams. The fur color varies on the upper side from yellowish-brown to reddish, the underside is white-gray or white. The ears and tail are brown.

These rodents are found in Central and South America from Costa Rica to the Amazon basin of Brazil . They live in open, bushy terrain and can always be found near water.

They are nocturnal and mainly stay on the ground, where they create trails through the grass. They live in earthworks in which they build nests from grass and stems. They eat grass (including sugar cane and rice), seeds and fruits.

After a gestation period of around 25 days, the female gives birth to an average of 4.6 young. These open the eyes at 7 days, are weaned at 9 to 11 days and sexually mature at 25 to 42 days.

There are two types:

Neither species is endangered according to the IUCN , but that is out of date.

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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