Northwestern fat mouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northwestern fat mouse |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Nesomyidae |
| Genus: | Steatomys |
| Species: |
S. caurinus
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| Binomial name | |
| Steatomys caurinus Thomas, 1912
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The northwestern fat mouse (Steatomys caurinus) is a small rodent that lives in West Africa. It belongs to a group of animals called Nesomyidae, which includes many types of mice and rats. This mouse prefers to live in grassy areas and on farmland.
Contents
About the Northwestern Fat Mouse
How Scientists Name It
Scientists give every animal a special name. The northwestern fat mouse was first named Steatomys caurinus by a British zoologist named Oldfield Thomas in 1912.
For a while, some scientists thought it was just a type of another mouse, called the fat mouse. But later, in 1978, other scientists decided it was unique enough to be its own separate species.
What It Looks Like
The northwestern fat mouse is a small creature. Its body, from head to tail, is about 9.6 to 12.2 centimeters (about 3.8 to 4.8 inches) long. Its tail adds another 3.5 to 5 centimeters (about 1.4 to 2 inches) to its length.
This mouse usually weighs between 36 and 60 grams (about 1.3 to 2.1 ounces). It has a dark reddish-brown fur color. One special feature is that it always has ten or more nipples.
There are a few types of fat mice in West Africa. The northwestern fat mouse is bigger and darker than the dainty fat mouse. It also has a shorter tail and more nipples. Another species, Jackson's fat mouse, lives in different areas, mainly in southern Ghana and Nigeria.
Where It Lives
You can find the northwestern fat mouse in several countries in West Africa. These include Benin, southern Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, northern Ghana, southwestern Mali, Niger, northern Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo.
It likes to live in dry shrubland, which is land covered with small bushes. It also often lives on land used for farming.
Is It Safe?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) checks on animals to see if they are in danger. They have said the northwestern fat mouse is a "least concern" species. This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
Even though its numbers can go up and down, it lives in many places and has a large total population. It is also found in several protected areas, which helps keep it safe.
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