Cerrado climbing mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cerrado climbing mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Rhipidomys
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| Species: |
macrurus
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The cerrado climbing mouse (Rhipidomys macrurus) is a type of rodent that lives in trees. It belongs to the Cricetidae family, which includes many mice and hamsters. You can find this mouse in South America, especially in central and eastern Brazil.
It lives in different kinds of forests, like the cerrado (a type of savanna), caatinga (a dry forest), and even the Atlantic Forest. These mice are active at night, which means they are nocturnal. They can climb high in tree canopies but also come down to the ground.
Sometimes, people might confuse the cerrado climbing mouse with other mice. For example, the Atlantic Forest climbing mouse (Rhipidomys mastacalis) is also called a "long-tailed climbing mouse."
Contents
What Does the Cerrado Climbing Mouse Look Like?
Cerrado climbing mice are medium-sized. Their bodies, from head to tail base, are about 12.5 to 14.5 centimeters (5 to 5.7 inches) long.
Fur and Tail
Their fur on their back is a dull reddish-gray-brown color. Their belly is white or a pale cream, often with gray at the base of the hairs. Their tail is a bit longer than their body. It has a small tuft of long hairs at the very tip and is a medium to dark reddish-brown.
Ears and Feet
They have large, medium-brown ears. Their back feet are strong and moderately long. Sometimes, there's a dark spot in the middle of the top of their hindfoot, with golden-brown fur around it.
Where Do They Live and What Do They Do?
This mouse lives in many parts of the cerrado region. You can find it in gallery forests (forests along rivers) and semi-deciduous woodlands (forests where some trees lose their leaves).
Daily Life
As mentioned, the cerrado climbing mouse is nocturnal, meaning it's active at night. It mostly lives in trees, so it's an arboreal animal. However, it does sometimes come down to the ground. These mice have even been known to enter houses!
What Do They Eat?
Cerrado climbing mice are seed eaters. This means their main diet consists of seeds they find in their forest homes.
