Coues's climbing mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coues's climbing mouse |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Rhipidomys
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| Species: |
couesi
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The Coues's climbing mouse (Rhipidomys couesi) is a type of rodent in the Cricetidae family. It is a small mammal that lives in trees. You can find this mouse in several countries. These include Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. This mouse is named after Elliott Coues. He was an American zoologist who studied birds and small mammals.
What Does It Look Like?
This is a pretty big climbing mouse. It can grow up to 21 centimeters (about 8 inches) long from its head to its body. Its fur is a bit rough and short.
The fur on its back and sides can be yellowish-brown or reddish-brown. Each hair has different colored bands. Darker hairs are mixed in, making it look cool. Its belly is usually creamy-white or yellowish. Sometimes, the hairs on its belly have grey roots.
Its tail is about as long as its body, or even a bit longer. It has dark scales and reddish-brown or dark brown hairs. The very end of its tail has a long tuft of hair, like a little brush!
Where Does It Live?
Coues's climbing mouse lives naturally in northern South America. You can find it in places like Trinidad and Margarita Island. It also lives along the coast of northern Venezuela. It can be found in parts of west-central Venezuela too. This includes the foothills of the Eastern Cordillera mountains. It also lives in central Colombia in the Meta Department.
This mouse probably lives in the humid forests that connect these areas. Further south, you might find a different mouse. That one is called the white-footed climbing mouse (Rhipidomys leucodactylus).
This mouse can live from sea level up to about 1,500 meters (about 4,900 feet) high. It is a nocturnal animal, meaning it is active at night. It is also arboreal, which means it lives in trees. Its favorite homes are primary and secondary rainforests. It also likes lowland forests and the lower parts of mountain forests.
See also
In Spanish: Rhipidomys couesi para niños
