Golden Oldfield mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden Oldfield mouse |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thomasomys
|
| Species: |
aureus
|
The golden Oldfield mouse is a type of rodent, which is a group of mammals like mice and rats. It is also known as the golden thomasomys. Its scientific name is Thomasomys aureus. You can find this mouse in countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela in South America. It was named after a British zoologist, Oldfield Thomas, who studied rodents from South America.
Contents
What the Golden Oldfield Mouse Looks Like
The golden Oldfield mouse is a large mouse for its group, called Thomasomys. Its body, from head to tail, is about 160 to 180 millimeters (6 to 7 inches) long.
Its fur on its back is thick and long. It's a golden-brown color mixed with grey. There's also a thin, dark line that runs along its spine. The fur on its belly is grey with yellowish tips.
The mouse's back feet can be up to 40 millimeters (about 1.5 inches) long. The tops of its feet have dark spots that reach its toes. These spots have orange or white edges. The tail is all one color and has rings. It's covered with short hair and doesn't have a bushy tip. The tail is usually longer than its body, about 125% to 140% of its body length.
Where the Golden Oldfield Mouse Lives
This mouse lives in forests found in the lower parts of the Andes mountains. Its home range stretches from western Venezuela and eastern Colombia. It also lives across most of Ecuador and Peru, and into western central Bolivia.
The golden Oldfield mouse usually prefers places with lots of plants. It lives at high altitudes, from about 1,500 to 4,000 meters (about 4,900 to 13,100 feet) above sea level.
How the Golden Oldfield Mouse Lives
This mouse spends some of its time in trees and some on the ground. In trees, it has been seen making paths on horizontal branches. These paths go through mosses and liverworts. On the ground, it makes clear paths among grasses and clumps of moss.
Golden Oldfield mouse nests have been found in trees, a few meters (several feet) above the ground. This mouse eats different kinds of food. Its diet includes plants, fruits, seeds, and small invertebrates (creatures without backbones, like insects).
Conservation Status
The golden Oldfield mouse lives across a wide area. It is quite common in most places where it lives, though it's less common in Ecuador. Forests are being cut down in its habitat, which might cause its numbers to go down.
However, the total number of these mice is still likely very large. Any decrease in their population is probably happening slowly. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says its conservation status is "least concern". This means it's not currently in danger of disappearing.
