Golden Oldfield mouse

The golden Oldfield mouse or golden thomasomys (Thomasomys aureus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.[2] It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Both the common and genus name commemorate the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas who worked at the Natural History Museum, London and studied South American rodents.[3]

Golden Oldfield mouse
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Sigmodontinae
Genus: Thomasomys
Species:
T. aureus
Binomial name
Thomasomys aureus
(Tomes, 1860)

Description

The golden Oldfield mouse is a large member of its genus Thomasomys with a head-and-body length of 160 to 180 mm (6 to 7 in). The dorsal fur is thick, coarse and long, a golden-brown colour grizzled with grey, and with a narrow dark line along the spine. The ventral fur consists of grey hairs with yellowish tips. The hind feet are up to 40 mm (1.6 in) long, the upper surfaces having dark patches extending to the bases of the digits, with orange or white margins. The tail is unicoloured and ringed, being clad with short hair and lacking a "pencil" (tuft of hairs) at its tip. The tail is 125 to 140% of the head-and-body length.[4]

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in forests in the foothills of the Andes. Its range extends from western Venezuela and eastern Colombia, through most of Ecuador and Peru, and western central Bolivia. It typically inhabits densely vegetated areas at altitudes of between 1,500 and 4,000 m (5,000 and 13,000 ft).[1]

Ecology

This mouse is partly arboreal. It has been found on horizontal branches making paths between the mosses and liverworts, and also on the ground with well-worn routes among the grasses and clumps of moss.[4] Nests have been found in trees a few metres above the ground. The diet includes vegetable matter, fruits, seeds and small invertebrates.[4]

Status

The golden Oldfield mouse has a wide range and is a fairly common species in most parts of its range, though less common in Ecuador. Deforestation is occurring throughout its range and populations may be declining, but the total population is likely to be large and any downward trend in populations is probably slow, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".[1]

References
  1. Pacheco, V.; Gómez-Laverde, M. (2008). "Thomasomys aureus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T21769A9317375. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T21769A9317375.en. Archived from the original on 19 August 2016.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  2. Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1180. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. "Thomas, Oldfield". Who's Who. 59. A & C Black. 1907. p. 1737.
  4. Pacheco, V. (9 March 2015). Patton, J. L.; Pardiñas, U. F. J.; D’Elía, G. (eds.). Mammals of South America, Volume 2: Rodents. University of Chicago Press. pp. 628–630. ISBN 978-0-226-16960-6. OCLC 921432000.
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