Mexican water mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mexican water mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Genus: | Rheomys |
| Species: |
R. mexicanus
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| Binomial name | |
| Rheomys mexicanus Goodwin, 1959
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The Mexican water mouse is a special kind of rodent that lives partly in water. It's also called the Mexican fishing mouse or Goodwin's water mouse. Its scientific name is Rheomys mexicanus. This small animal lives only in a small area of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Sadly, its home is shrinking because of deforestation and dirty water. Because of this, it is listed as an endangered animal by a group called the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
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Discovering the Mexican Water Mouse
The Mexican water mouse was first officially described in 1959. An American animal expert named George Gilbert Goodwin gave it the scientific name Rheomys mexicanus. He worked at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Mr. Goodwin traveled a lot to find and study different animals.
Where the Mexican Water Mouse Lives
This mouse lives only in Mexico. It has a very small home range in the state of Oaxaca. You can find it on the Pacific side of the mountains. It has been seen near places like San Pablo Guelatao, San José Lachiguirí, Unión Hidalgo, and Tehuantepec.
Life and Habitat of the Water Mouse
The Mexican water mouse lives in and near the small streams that start rivers. These streams are found in tropical forests with lots of trees. We don't know much about its daily life. However, it seems to find its food in these small streams. It prefers forests where the tree branches form a thick roof above. Other types of Rheomys mice also live partly in water. They eat meat and prefer to live near rivers and streams.
Why the Mexican Water Mouse is Endangered
The Mexican water mouse lives in an area smaller than 5,000 square kilometers (about 1,930 square miles). Within this area, its home is broken up into small pieces. It is known from only four different locations. This mouse needs very clean, unpolluted water to survive. But the places where it can live are getting smaller and dirtier.
Its home is threatened by trees being cut down (deforestation). It is also harmed by water pollution. This pollution comes from human activities, like washing clothes in streams. Because of these dangers, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed this mouse as "endangered".
 | Claudette Colvin |
 | Myrlie Evers-Williams |
 | Alberta Odell Jones |
