Montane fish-eating rat facts for kids
The Montane Fish-eating Rat (Neusticomys monticolus) is a type of rodent that loves water, meaning it's semiaquatic. It belongs to a group of rodents called the Cricetidae family. You can find these special rats living high up in the Andes Mountains in countries like Colombia and Ecuador.
Quick facts for kids Montane Fish-eating Rat |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Genus: | Neusticomys |
| Species: |
N. monticolus
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| Binomial name | |
| Neusticomys monticolus Anthony, 1921
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Contents
What Does It Look Like?
Montane Fish-eating Rats are medium-sized rodents. From their head to their body, they measure about 10 to 13 centimetres (3.9 to 5.1 in) long. Their tail adds another 8 to 11 centimetres (3.1 to 4.3 in). On average, they weigh around 40 grams (1.4 oz), which is about the same as a small candy bar.
These rats have dull greyish-black fur. It's very thick and feels soft, like velvet. They also have some longer, darker hairs mixed in. Their fur covers most of their body evenly, and it stays thick even on their tail, which is different from many other rats.
A cool thing about them is their feet! All four feet have white toes. Some rats might even have white spots on their back, the tip of their tail, or on their chest. Their ears are quite large for a rat in their group, and you can easily see them sticking out from their thick fur.
Special Feet for Swimming
Like other rodents that live near water, Montane Fish-eating Rats have feet that help them swim. However, their feet are not as specialized as some other water rats. For example, their feet are narrower. They also have a fringe of stiff hairs around their toes, but it's not as developed as in other species.
They have a small web between their second and third toes, and also between their third and fourth toes. This web doesn't quite reach the first joint of their toes. Female rats have six teats, which are located on their chest, belly, and near their back legs.
Where Do They Live?
Montane Fish-eating Rats are only found in the mountains of northern Ecuador and western Colombia. They prefer to live near fast-moving streams that flow through cloud forests. These forests are often misty and wet. You can find these rats at high elevations, from about 1,800 and 3,754 metres (5,906 and 12,316 ft) above sea level. There are no different types or subspecies of this rat that scientists have officially recognized.
What Do They Eat and How Do They Behave?
Montane Fish-eating Rats are active either during twilight (dawn and dusk) or at night. Even though they are called "fish-eating rats," scientists have never actually seen them eat fish!
Instead, when researchers have looked inside the stomachs of these rats, they found only freshwater insects. Their diet includes things like water beetles, crane flies, mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies.
Not much else is known about how these rats live. This is because only 47 of them have ever been found and studied by scientists. One female rat was found to be pregnant in May, which is early in the wet season. However, we don't know if they have a specific time of year when they usually have babies.
 | Ernest Everett Just |
 | Mary Jackson |
 | Emmett Chappelle |
 | Marie Maynard Daly |
