Boquete Rice Rat
Encyclopedia
Nephelomys devius, also known as the Talamancan Oryzomys, Boquete Rice Rat, Chiriqui Rice Rat, or Montane Rice Rat, is a species of rodent
in the genus Nephelomys
of family Cricetidae
. It is found in cloud forest
in the highlands of Costa Rica
and western Panama
.
The upperparts are light brown and become lighter towards the sides. The underparts are buffy or dull white, with a whitish area at the throat. The ears are blackish, as is the nose, and the feet are yellow to brown. The tail is dark brown above and somewhat lighter below. In juveniles, the fur of the upperparts is darker. In three specimens, the total length ranges from 335 to 360 mm (13.2 to 14.2 in), the combined length of the tail vertebrae from 180 to 195 mm (7.1 to 7.7 in), the hindfoot length from 33 to 36 mm (1.3 to 1.4 in), and the skull length from 35.8 to 37.5 mm (1.4 to 1.5 in).
N. devius is the westernmost representative of its genus, with a related species, N. pirrensis
, known from eastern Panama. In contrast to that species, the chest region is marked by a white patch, as in various other Nephelomys species. The skull is more rounded, the auditory bulla
e are larger, and the fur is somewhat paler. Unlike Transandinomys talamancae, possibly the closest relative of the genus Nephelomys, N. devius apparently lacks preputial gland
s.
It was originally described, in 1902, as a species of Oryzomys, Oryzomys devius, and considered to be related to O. meridensis. In 1966, it was subsumed into Oryzomys albigularis, as were all other species of this group, but subsequently it was reinstated as a species. In 2006, members of the O. albigularis group were transferred into a new genus, Nephelomys; since then, the species has been known as Nephelomys devius.
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
in the genus Nephelomys
Nephelomys
Nephelomys is a genus of South American oryzomyine rodents found in the Andes from Bolivia to Venezuela, with a westward extension into the mountains of Costa Rica...
of family Cricetidae
Cricetidae
The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, and New World rats and mice...
. It is found in cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
in the highlands of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and western Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
The upperparts are light brown and become lighter towards the sides. The underparts are buffy or dull white, with a whitish area at the throat. The ears are blackish, as is the nose, and the feet are yellow to brown. The tail is dark brown above and somewhat lighter below. In juveniles, the fur of the upperparts is darker. In three specimens, the total length ranges from 335 to 360 mm (13.2 to 14.2 in), the combined length of the tail vertebrae from 180 to 195 mm (7.1 to 7.7 in), the hindfoot length from 33 to 36 mm (1.3 to 1.4 in), and the skull length from 35.8 to 37.5 mm (1.4 to 1.5 in).
N. devius is the westernmost representative of its genus, with a related species, N. pirrensis
Nephelomys pirrensis
Nephelomys pirrensis, also known as the Mount Pirre Rice Rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Nephelomys of family Cricetidae. Its type locality is at Mount Pirri or Pirre in eastern Panama, at an altitude of , and it has also been recorded on Mount Tacarcuna.N. pirrensis is a relatively large...
, known from eastern Panama. In contrast to that species, the chest region is marked by a white patch, as in various other Nephelomys species. The skull is more rounded, the auditory bulla
Auditory bulla
The auditory bulla is a hollow bony structure on the ventral, posterior portion of the skull of placental mammals that encloses parts of the middle and inner ear. In most species, it is formed by the tympanic part of the temporal bone.In extant primates, the structure is found in tarsiers,...
e are larger, and the fur is somewhat paler. Unlike Transandinomys talamancae, possibly the closest relative of the genus Nephelomys, N. devius apparently lacks preputial gland
Preputial gland
Preputial glands are exocrine glands that are located in front of the genitals of some mammals and produce pheromones. The preputial glands of female animals are sometimes called clitoral glands....
s.
It was originally described, in 1902, as a species of Oryzomys, Oryzomys devius, and considered to be related to O. meridensis. In 1966, it was subsumed into Oryzomys albigularis, as were all other species of this group, but subsequently it was reinstated as a species. In 2006, members of the O. albigularis group were transferred into a new genus, Nephelomys; since then, the species has been known as Nephelomys devius.
Literature cited
- Bangs, O. 1902. Chiriqui Mammalia. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 39:15–52.
- Duff, A. and Lawson, A. 2004. Mammals of the World: A checklist. Yale University Press, 312 pp. ISBN 978-0-300-10398-4
- Goldman, E.A. 1918. The rice rats of North America. North American Fauna 43:1–100.
- Goldman, E.A. 1920. The mammals of Panama. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 69(5):1–309.
- Musser, G.G. and Carleton, M.D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894–1531 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0
- Reid, F. and Samudio, R. 2008. . In IUCN. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved on April 24, 2009.
- Weksler, M., A. R. Percequillo, and R.S. Voss. 2006. Ten new genera of oryzomyine rodents (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae). American Museum Novitates 3537:1–29.