Straw-colored colilargo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Straw-colored colilargo |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Genus: | Oligoryzomys |
| Species: |
O. stramineus
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| Binomial name | |
| Oligoryzomys stramineus Bonvicino & Weksler, 1998
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The Oligoryzomys stramineus, also known as the straw-colored colilargo or straw-colored pygmy rice rat, is a type of rodent. It belongs to the genus Oligoryzomys and the family Cricetidae, which includes many mice and rats. This small animal lives only in specific parts of northeastern Brazil. You can find it in the cerrado and caatinga areas, which are unique types of natural environments.
Contents
About the Straw-Colored Pygmy Rice Rat
The straw-colored pygmy rice rat is a fairly large type of mouse or rat. It has yellowish-brown fur on its head and back. Its belly is covered in white fur, with a clear line where the two colors meet.
This rat has some interesting features on its skull. It has long openings in the roof of its mouth, which are called incisive foramina. It also has wide bony plates in its upper jaw, known as zygomatic plates.
Size and Measurements
On average, the body of this rat is about 94 mm (3.70 in) long. That's roughly the length of a small smartphone. Its tail is even longer, averaging about 118 mm (4.65 in).
Where It Lives and Its Home
This little rat lives in South America, specifically in northeastern and central Brazil. Its home range stretches from the northern parts of the states of Goiás and Minas Gerais. It also lives southward into the states of Paraíba and Pernambuco.
Preferred Habitats
In the cerrado region, which is a type of savanna, the straw-colored pygmy rice rat is often found in gallery forests. These are forests that grow along rivers and streams. It sometimes shares its living space in central Brazil with another type of rat called Oligoryzomys fornesi. They can even be caught in the same traps!
Another species, Oligoryzomys nigripes, also lives in the same general area. However, these two species are usually not found in the exact same trap-lines. This means they might prefer slightly different spots within their shared habitat.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
Scientists don't know a lot about how the straw-colored pygmy rice rat reproduces. However, they did find a pregnant female in September. She was carrying four young rats. Also, a young rat was caught in August. This suggests that mating might happen around June or July.
Conservation Status
The straw-colored pygmy rice rat lives across a wide area. Even though its exact total population isn't known, experts believe it is common. Its population also seems to be stable, meaning it's not decreasing.
No major threats have been found for this species. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has given it a conservation status of "least concern". This means it's not currently considered to be at risk of disappearing.
 | Kyle Baker |
 | Joseph Yoakum |
 | Laura Wheeler Waring |
 | Henry Ossawa Tanner |
