African wading rat

The African Water Rat ( Colomys goslingi ), also known as African forest stream mouse, an African rodent species from the group of Altweltmäuse is ( Murinae ).

General

The body length is 11 to 14 inches, added a 13 to 19 centimeters long tail. The coat is colored brown on the upper side and lower side white. The brown tint is darker from the front to the rear and is in the rear back section almost black. The long tail is scaly and almost hairless.

African Water Rats have a fragmented distribution area in the central Africa. They are located in Liberia, the western Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Ethiopia and Angola. It is mostly found along wooded river banks and is a resident of swamps and rain forests.

You are creating nocturnal animals, the burrows along river banks. The food they seek in very shallow water. Here they wade through the mud and feel the whiskers ( vibrissae ) worms, aquatic insects, snails and crustaceans on. Plant parts are, however, rarely eaten. Water rats can swim well, but use this ability only on the run or in a forced relocation.

According to IUCN, the type is not one of an endangered species.

System

The African water rat is named after the Colomys - generic group within the Altweltmäuse, the next nor the Ethiopian water mice ( Nilopegamys ) and includes the Breitkopf mice ( Zelotomys ).

According to genetic studies of Lecompte et al. (2008) are the animals of the Colomys group is part of an African radiation of Altweltmäuse, the next still includes the Stenocephalemys Group and is sometimes summarized as Praomyini.