Tate's rice rat
Encyclopedia
Hylaeamys tatei, also known as Tate's Oryzomys or Tate's Rice Rat, is a South America
n rodent
species
of the family Cricetidae
. It is known only from the eastern foothills of the Andes
in central Ecuador
, where it has been found at elevations from 1130 to 1520 m. It is most closely related to Hylaeamys yunganus, which occurs throughout Amazonia
. The species is found in tropical rainforest
and is terrestrial and probably nocturnal. It is named after American zoologist George Henry Hamilton Tate
.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n rodent
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....
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of the 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 known only from the eastern foothills of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
in central 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...
, where it has been found at elevations from 1130 to 1520 m. It is most closely related to Hylaeamys yunganus, which occurs throughout Amazonia
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
. The species is found in tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
and is terrestrial and probably nocturnal. It is named after American zoologist George Henry Hamilton Tate
George Henry Hamilton Tate
George Henry Hamilton Tate was an English-born American zoologist, who worked as a mammalogist for the American Museum of Natural History in New York....
.