Quechuan hocicudo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Quechuan hocicudo |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Oxymycterus
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| Species: |
hucucha
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The Oxymycterus hucucha, also called the Quechuan hocicudo, is a small rodent that lives in South America. It belongs to a group of rodents called Oxymycterus, which are part of the Cricetidae family (this family includes many types of mice and hamsters). This special rodent is found only in a small part of the Andes mountains in central Bolivia. It likes to live in cloud forests, which are misty, high-altitude forests, at elevations between 2,600 and 3,000 meters (about 8,500 to 9,800 feet) above sea level.
Discovering the Quechuan Hocicudo
The Quechuan hocicudo is quite small compared to other rodents in its group. Scientists first realized it was a new species when a specimen was caught in 1984. This happened in the Siberia Cloud Forest in Bolivia's Cochabamba Department, close to the border of the Santa Cruz Department.
Scientists could tell it was an Oxymycterus because of its long claws. These claws are different from other small rodents living in the same area. Later, two more specimens that had been caught earlier (in 1955 and 1979) were identified as the same species. One of these had been mistakenly identified as a different type of mouse before.
In 1987, the O. hucucha and another small Oxymycterus called O. hiska (from Peru) were officially named and described. This was done in a scientific paper by Flavio Hinojosa, Sydney Anderson, and James Patton. The name hucucha comes from the Quechua language, which is spoken by local people in the area. In Quechua, hucucha means "mouse."
What it Looks Like
The Quechuan hocicudo is similar in size to O. hiska, but it's a little bit smaller. Its fur on its back is lighter and has a reddish color.
There are also differences in its skull (head bones). The skull of O. hucucha is narrower, and its palate (the roof of its mouth) is longer. Also, its upper incisors (front teeth) point more forward. Its color looks a bit like some young O. inca, which is a larger Oxymycterus found in the same region. However, O. inca has bigger feet.
Why it's Endangered
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists the Quechuan hocicudo as an "endangered" species. This means it is at a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
There are a few reasons for this:
- It lives in only a very small area.
- Its habitat (the cloud forest where it lives) is being destroyed.
- It is not found in any protected areas, like national parks or reserves, which would help keep its home safe.
See also
In Spanish: Oxymycterus hucucha para niños
