Olive grass mouse facts for kids
The olive grass mouse (scientific name: Abrothrix olivacea) is a small rodent. It's also known as the olive akodont. This mouse lives in parts of Chile and Argentina, including the islands of Tierra del Fuego. Sometimes, its population can grow very large, and other times it can shrink.
Quick facts for kids Olive grass mouse |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Abrothrix
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| Species: |
olivacea
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| Synonyms | |
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Akodon mansoensis |
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Contents
About the Olive Grass Mouse
The olive grass mouse is a type of rodent. Its scientific name, Abrothrix olivacea, has been known by many other names over time. Scientists have studied it a lot. Some of its close relatives were once thought to be different species.
What Does It Look Like?
The olive grass mouse is a small animal. It grows to about 17 centimeters (6.7 inches) long. Its fur is greyish-brown on its back. Sometimes, it has a slightly yellowish color around its nose. Its belly is usually a pale to medium grey.
Where Does It Live?
This mouse can be found in northern and central Chile. It also lives in the western parts of Argentina. You can find it in southern Chile and Patagonia. It even lives on the larger islands off the coast, including the islands of Tierra del Fuego.
The olive grass mouse lives in many different places. In Patagonia, it likes dry, bushy areas. Further north, it lives in forests with Nothofagus trees, Saxegothaea trees, and bamboo. It can also be found in grassy fields, marshes, and wet meadows.
Life and Habits
The olive grass mouse is mostly active during the day. In grassy areas, it makes little paths to move around. It builds its nest from grasses. These nests are often hidden in a clump of grass, among roots, or under a rock.
This mouse is good at climbing trees. It can also dig tunnels in the ground. In Chile, it sometimes uses burrows made by other animals. For example, it might use tunnels dug by the coruro (Spalacopus cyanus).
What Does It Eat?
The olive grass mouse has a varied diet. It eats berries, seeds, and young plant shoots. It also enjoys leaves, fungi, and small insects.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Olive grass mice usually breed in the spring and summer. A mother mouse typically has about five young at a time. If conditions are good, like during El Niño years, their numbers can grow very quickly.
Who Eats the Olive Grass Mouse?
Many animals hunt the olive grass mouse. Barn owls (Tyto tyto) and lesser horned owls (Bubo magellanicus) are some of its predators. Other birds and foxes also prey on these mice.
Population Swings
Sometimes, there are huge increases in the number of olive grass mice. In 1990, a type of bamboo called Chusquea valdiviensis flowered all at once. This happened over a very large area in southern Chile. After flowering, the bamboo plants died.
This event created a huge amount of seeds. Because there was so much food, the number of mice grew a lot. Another type of mouse, the rice rat (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus), also had a big population increase. The olive grass mouse population also grew, but not as much.
More food meant that the mice had more babies. Also, more young mice survived to become adults. Their breeding season also lasted longer. Some of the bamboo seeds stayed on the plants for a year. This meant that mouse populations could grow again in the following years.
Conservation Status
The olive grass mouse is a common species. It is believed to have a large population. It lives in many different places. It is also found in several protected natural areas. This mouse seems to do well even if its habitat changes a bit. No major threats have been found for it. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it is a "least concern" animal. This means it is not currently at risk of disappearing.
See also
In Spanish: Laucha olivácea para niños
