White-throated oryzomys facts for kids
Quick facts for kids White-throated oryzomys |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Nephelomys
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| Species: |
albigularis
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| Synonyms | |
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Hesperomys albigularis Tomes, 1860 |
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The white-throated rice rat, also known as Nephelomys albigularis, is a type of rodent. It belongs to the Nephelomys group of animals, which are part of the Cricetidae family. This family includes many kinds of mice and rats.
This species was first described in 1860. It was the very first Nephelomys species that scientists found.
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About the White-Throated Rice Rat
The white-throated rice rat has an interesting history in how it was named. When it was first discovered, it was called Hesperomys albigularis. Scientists thought it was related to a smaller animal called H. longicaudatus.
Later, in 1894, its name changed to Oryzomys albigularis. It was then linked to another species, which is now known as Nephelomys meridensis.
How Its Name Changed Over Time
For many years, scientists grouped many different species under the name Nephelomys albigularis. But starting in 1976, they began to realize that some of these were actually separate species.
In 2006, a scientist named Marcelo Weksler studied the family of animals that includes rice rats. His research showed that the group Oryzomys had too many different types of animals in it.
- This meant that O. albigularis and a similar species, O. levipes, were put into a new group.
- This new group was given its own name: Nephelomys.
- The white-throated rice rat, albigularis, became the main example for this new group.
Since then, this animal has been known as Nephelomys albigularis. Many species that were once thought to be the same as N. albigularis are now recognized as their own separate species. These include N. childi, N. maculiventer, N. moerex, N. pectoralis, and N. pirrensis.
Where Does It Live?
Before scientists separated the different species, the white-throated rice rat was thought to live in a very wide area. This area stretched from northern Peru through the Andes mountains in Ecuador and Colombia. It also reached into eastern Panama and northwestern Venezuela.
Now that other species have been recognized, the exact areas where N. albigularis lives are being re-evaluated. We know that the original place where N. albigularis was first found is in Ecuador.
- This rat lives in montane forests.
- These are forests found in mountainous regions.
- It can be found at high altitudes, from about 900 to 3300 meters (about 2,950 to 10,800 feet) above sea level.
What Does It Eat?
The white-throated rice rat is a nocturnal animal. This means it is most active at night. It is also omnivorous. This means it eats both plants and other small animals.
