Montane colilargo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Montane colilargo
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Genus:	Microryzomys
Species:	M. minutus
Binomial name
Microryzomys minutus (Tomes, 1860)
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The montane colilargo (scientific name: Microryzomys minutus) is a small rodent that looks a bit like a mouse. It's also known as the forest small rice rat. This tiny animal belongs to a group of rodents called Microryzomys and is part of the Cricetidae family, which includes hamsters and voles. You can find the montane colilargo in several South American countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Scientists are still studying if the populations in these different areas are all the same species.

What Does the Montane Colilargo Look Like?

The montane colilargo has a fur color that is a mix of orange-brown, called ochraceous-tawny. There isn't much difference in color between its back and its belly. Its tail is all one color and is quite long, at least 110 mm (4.3 in) (about 4.3 inches) in adult animals.

The top parts of its feet have dark markings. Its back feet are fairly wide and have large pads, which are soft cushions on the sole. The skull of this animal is narrower, shorter, and not as strong as that of its close relative, Microryzomys altissimus. These features help scientists tell the two species apart. The montane colilargo's karyotype (which describes its chromosomes) has 58 chromosomes.

Where Does the Montane Colilargo Live?

This species is native to the Andes mountains in South America. It mostly lives at high altitudes, usually between 2,000 and 3,500 m (6,600 and 11,500 ft) (about 6,500 to 11,500 feet) above sea level. However, it can sometimes be found as low as 800 m (2,600 ft) (about 2,600 feet) or as high as 4,265 m (14,000 ft) (about 14,000 feet).

Its home range includes the Caribbean coastal mountains and the Cordillera de Mérida in Venezuela. It also lives in the Western, Central, and Eastern mountain ranges in Colombia. You can also find it in the high Andes of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. The montane colilargo lives in many kinds of wet forest habitats. These include old-growth forests, newer forests that have grown back, rainforests, pine forests, and scrublands found in high mountain areas. It also lives on the edges of the páramo, which are unique grasslands found at high altitudes. In Venezuela, it is thought to be the most common rodent living in the cloud forests, which are forests often covered in clouds.

What Does the Montane Colilargo Eat and How Does It Live?

The montane colilargo is an omnivore, meaning it eats both plants and animals. Its diet includes seeds, fruits, grass stems, insects, and insect larvae (young insects).

Even though it is usually seen on the ground, its longer tail and larger pads on its feet suggest that it might spend some time in trees. It probably climbs more than its relative, M. altissimus.