Indefatigable Galapagos Mouse
Encyclopedia
Nesoryzomys indefessus, also known as the Santa Cruz Nesoryzomys or Indefatigable Galápagos Mouse, is a rodent
of the genus Nesoryzomys
of family Cricetidae
from Galápagos Islands
of Ecuador
. It contains two subspecies
: one (N. i. indefessus) formerly lived on Santa Cruz Island
, but is now extinct, probably due to the introduction of black rat
s; and another (N. i. narboroughi) that is still alive on Fernandina Island
. The two are sometimes considered to be different species.
Its specific name is Latin for "unwearied, indefatigable", but the species was named after its island, which was formerly known as "Indefatigable Island" after a ship with the same name.
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....
of the genus Nesoryzomys
Nesoryzomys
Nesoryzomys is a genus of rodent in the tribe Oryzomyini of family Cricetidae, endemic to the Galápagos Islands. Other rodents restricted to the Galápagos include Megaoryzomys curioi and Aegialomys galapagoensis.-References:...
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...
from Galápagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
of Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. It contains two subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
: one (N. i. indefessus) formerly lived on Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island
Santa Cruz Island was the largest privately owned island off the continental United States, but is currently part-owned by the National Park service . The island, located off the coast of California, is long and from wide...
, but is now extinct, probably due to the introduction of black rat
Black Rat
The black rat is a common long-tailed rodent of the genus Rattus in the subfamily Murinae . The species originated in tropical Asia and spread through the Near East in Roman times before reaching Europe by the 1st century and spreading with Europeans across the world.-Taxonomy:The black rat was...
s; and another (N. i. narboroughi) that is still alive on Fernandina Island
Fernandina Island
Fernandina Island is the third largest, and youngest, island of the Galápagos Islands. Like the others, the island was formed by the Galápagos hotspot...
. The two are sometimes considered to be different species.
Its specific name is Latin for "unwearied, indefatigable", but the species was named after its island, which was formerly known as "Indefatigable Island" after a ship with the same name.
Literature cited
- 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
- Tirira, D., Dowler, R., Boada, C. and Weksler, M. 2008. . In IUCN. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on December 8, 2009.