Cuscomys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cuscomys |
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| Illustration of Cuscomys oblativus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Abrocomidae |
| Genus: | Cuscomys Emmons, 1999 |
| Species | |
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Cuscomys ashaninka |
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Cuscomys is a special group of rodents. They are sometimes called "chinchilla rats." These animals live high in the Andes mountains of southern Peru. They are quite large for rodents. They have dark grey fur and a clear white stripe. This stripe goes from their head down to their nose.
Scientists first named this group in 1999. That was when Cuscomys ashaninka was officially described. Later, they found that another species, Cuscomys oblativus, also belonged in this group. This second species was once thought to be part of a different group called Abrocoma.
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Discovering Cuscomys
Cuscomys are very mysterious animals. Scientists do not know much about them. This is because they are hard to find.
The Asháninka Chinchilla Rat
The species Cuscomys ashaninka is known from only one animal. This single animal is called the holotype. It is the only specimen scientists have studied.
The Machu Picchu Chinchilla Rat
The species Cuscomys oblativus was thought to be extinct. This means people believed it had died out completely. Scientists only knew about it from old bones. These bones were found in 1912. They were buried with people in ancient Inca tombs. These tombs were at the famous Machu Picchu ruins.
However, something exciting happened in late 2009. Photos of a rodent were taken at the Machu Picchu ruins. These pictures likely show Cuscomys oblativus still alive!
Are they rare?
It is not clear if Cuscomys are truly very rare. They might just be hard to spot. They live in faraway places. Also, they are arboreal, meaning they live in trees. This makes them easy to miss.
Species of Cuscomys
There are two known species in the Cuscomys group:
- Cuscomys ashaninka – This is also called the Asháninka Arboreal Chinchilla Rat.
- Cuscomys oblativus – This is also called the Machu Picchu Arboreal Chinchilla Rat.
See also
In Spanish: Cuscomys para niños
