Amazonian marsh rat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Amazonian marsh rat |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Holochilus
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| Species: |
sciureus
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Meet the Amazonian marsh rat (Holochilus sciureus)! This cool rodent is also called the common marsh rat. It lives in South America.
What Does It Look Like?
The Amazonian marsh rat looks a bit like a brown rat, but it's smaller. Its body is about 13 to 22 centimeters (5 to 8.5 inches) long. Its tail adds another 12 to 18 centimeters (4.5 to 7 inches). These rats usually weigh between 130 and 200 grams (4.5 to 7 ounces).
They have short fur. Their back is a brownish-yellow color. This color gets lighter on their sides. Their belly is white or light orange. Their back feet are bigger than their front paws. They have strong claws and some webbing between their toes. A small fringe of silvery hair is found around the bottom of their feet. Female rats have eight or ten teats.
Where Do They Live?
Amazonian marsh rats live in many parts of northern South America. You can find them east of the Andes Mountains. They like open areas. These include grasslands, savannas, and marshes. They also live in clearings within rainforests and on farms. They can be found at heights up to 2,000 meters (about 6,500 feet).
Scientists recognize two main types, or subspecies, of this rat:
- Holochilus sciureus sciureus: This type lives in central Brazil, southern Colombia, eastern Peru, Ecuador, and northern Bolivia.
- Holochilus sciureus berbicensis: This type is found in Venezuela, the Guianas, northern Brazil, and eastern Colombia.
Life and Habits
Amazonian marsh rats mainly eat grass stems. They also munch on some seeds. Sometimes, they eat sedges, other plants, and even small insects. They are active at night, which means they are nocturnal. They usually stay within a small area, sometimes as tiny as 0.3 hectares (less than one acre).
Female rats build round nests from leaves for their babies. These nests can be on the ground in thick plants or cracks. But often, they are 50 to 150 centimeters (about 1.5 to 5 feet) above the ground. They attach them to strong plant stems, like those of sugar cane or rice plants. The inside of the nest is soft with shredded leaves. The outside is tougher.
Many animals hunt these rats. Some predators include caimans, rattlesnakes, barn owls, hawks, and kites. Crab-eating foxes probably hunt them too.
Baby Rats
Amazonian marsh rats can have babies all year long. But they are more likely to have babies when there is a lot of rain. After they meet, the parents spend about four days together before mating. The mother carries the babies for 29 days.
A mother rat gives birth at night or in the early morning. She can have up to eight babies at once. When born, the pups are blind and have no hair. Each baby is about 5 centimeters (2 inches) long and weighs 7 grams (0.25 ounces). Their fur starts to grow after five days. Their first teeth appear at ten days old. The young rats stop drinking milk from their mother at fifteen days. By this time, their eyes have opened. They become adults and can have their own babies at three to four months old. Females take a little longer to mature than males.
