Lindbergh's oryzomys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lindbergh's oryzomys |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Cerradomys
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| Species: |
scotti
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| Synonyms | |
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Oryzomys scotti Langguth and Bonvicino, 2002 |
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The Lindbergh's Oryzomys, also known as Cerradomys scotti, is a type of rodent that lives in South America. It is a small mammal found mainly in the cerrado region. The cerrado is a large savanna area in south-central Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. This animal lives on the ground and is quite common. It can even live in areas where farming has changed the land a bit.
Contents
Discovering the Lindbergh's Oryzomys
This interesting rodent was first officially described in 2002. Scientists named it Oryzomys scotti at that time. The name "scotti" was chosen to honor a zoologist named Scott Lindbergh.
Another Name for the Same Animal
A few years later, in 2004, another group of scientists found a similar rodent. They were from Texas Tech University. They found this animal in a place called Pozo Mario in southeastern Bolivia. They thought it was a new species and named it Oryzomys andersoni. This name honored a famous mammal scientist, Sydney Anderson. He had studied many mammals in Bolivia.
Later, scientists looked more closely at both animals. They compared their bodies and their DNA. They found out that Oryzomys scotti and Oryzomys andersoni were actually the same species! So, Oryzomys andersoni became known as a "junior synonym." This means it was a later name given to an animal that already had a scientific name.
Changing Its Scientific Family
In 2006, scientists decided that this rodent belonged to a different group of animals. They moved it to a new genus called Cerradomys. So, its official scientific name became Cerradomys scotti.
What Does It Look Like?
The first Oryzomys andersoni that was studied had a white belly. Its back was grey-brown with a black stripe down the middle. This particular animal was about 111 millimeters (about 4.4 inches) long from its head to its body. Its tail was a bit longer, around 122 millimeters (about 4.8 inches). Its hind feet were 30 millimeters (about 1.2 inches) long, and its ears were 17 millimeters (about 0.7 inches) long. It weighed about 37 grams (about 1.3 ounces).
Where Does It Live?
The Lindbergh's Oryzomys lives in the cerrado habitat. This is a type of savanna with grasslands and scattered trees. Many other animals share this home. Some of them include:
- The gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica)
- The long-tailed spiny rat (Proechimys longicaudatus)
- The Bolivian red squirrel (Sciurus spadiceus)
- The Spix's yellow-toothed cavy (Galea spixii)
- The Central American agouti (Dasyprocta punctata)
- The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
- The crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous)
- The red brocket deer (Mazama americana)
- The brown brocket deer (Mazama gouazoupira)
