Melanomys

The Dark rice rats ( Melanomys ) are a living in Central and South America rodent genus of the group of the New world. It includes three types, the classification is controversial.

Named giving feature of these animals is the dark, black-brown fur. The underside is slightly lighter, but not as strong as contrasted with related species. These animals reach a head-body length of 10 to 14 inches and a tail length of 9-11 cm, the weight is 47 to 60 grams.

There are three known types:

• Melanomys caliginosus is distributed from Honduras through Colombia to Ecuador.
• Melanomys robustulus inhabited the eastern slopes of the Andes in Ecuador.
• Melanomys zunigae lives in western Peru.

The Dark rice rats are often performed as a subgenus of the ( actual ) rice rats ( Oryzomys ). The morphological criteria that justify the delimitation of the genus ( dark fur, tail length only about three quarters of head -body length and others) are uncertain, it could also be developed in order convergent, not more closely related derivatives of the ( actual ) act rice rats. A revision of the genus is necessary, according to Wilson and Reeder ( 2005).

Habitat and Distribution

Melanomys caliginosus lives in overgrown fields, strauchigem secondary forest and the hem of evergreen and semi- evergreen forests.

Melanomys caliginosus is a diurnal ground dwellers and often found in dense undergrowth or on tree stumps. In case of danger, they fled with a series of high jumps. Afternoon and early evening you can often watch M. caliginosus on buildings in clearings. The diet consists of fruit, seeds and insects. M. caliginosus is able to reproduce throughout the year, in the rainy season, most of the boys are probably born. Litter size is between one and six young animals with a mean of 3.5. The species is quite common and is used by the IUCN as " not at risk " ( least concern ) classified.

Melanomys robustulus lives in tropical rain forests in the lowlands and is a nocturnal ground dwellers. The species is not very common, but is considered " not at risk " by the IUCN ( least concern ) classified.

Melanomys zunigae has not been seen despite intensive search since 1949. The relatively small area in which the species has been sighted recently, is now used almost entirely for grazing goats and from mining. It is to be feared that the species is extinct now. The IUCN therefore classified the species as " threatened with extinction " ( critically endangered ).