Rhipidomys

Climbing Mouse ( Rhipodmys leucodactylus )

The climbing mice ( Rhipidomys ) are a living in South America rodent genus of the group of the New world. They comprise 17 species.

Features

Climbing mice are mice like animals. They reach a body length 8-21 centimeters, the tail is longer than the body and can be up to 27 inches long. Their fur is dyed at the top in various shades of brown or gray, the underside is white or light gray. The line between dark top and lighter bottom is sharp. The feet are broad and adapted with the long claws on a climbing lifestyle. The tail is hairy and ends in a small tassel.

Dissemination and lifestyle

Climbing mice are native to South America, their range extends from eastern Panama to Bolivia and northern Argentina. They inhabit forests and other wooded areas.

These rodents are nocturnal. They are mostly arboreal, some species live on the ground and spread into homes. During the day, they retreat in grass nests.

The IUCN does not list any of the species listed as threatened here, but that should also be based on lack of knowledge.

System

We distinguish 17 types:

• Rhipidomys Austrinus is distributed from Bolivia to northern Argentina.
• Rhipidomys caucensis lives in western Colombia.
• Rhipidomys couesi inhabited Colombia, Venezuela and the island of Trinidad.
• Rhipidomys emiliae is native to central and eastern Brazil.
• Rhipidomys fulviventer inhabited isolated areas in Colombia and Venezuela.
• Rhipidomys gardneri lives in eastern Peru and western Brazil.
• Rhipidomys latimanus is spread from eastern Panama to Peru. The population of Panama was formerly known as R. scandens out as a separate species.
• Rhipidomys leucodactylus occurs in wide parts of northern South America.
• Rhipidomys macconnelli lives in Venezuela, Guyana and northern Brazil.
• Rhipidomys macrurus inhabited the central Brazil.
• Rhipidomys mastacalis is native to eastern Brazil.
• Rhipidomys Modicus lives in the central Peru.
• Rhipidomys nitela inhabited Venezuela, Guyana, the three countries and northern Brazil.
• Rhipidomys ochrogaster is known only from the southeastern Peru.
• Rhipidomys venezuelae lives in Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
• Rhipidomys venustus is sporadically present in western and northern Venezuela.
• Rhipidomys wetzeli inhabited southern Venezuela and northern Brazil.

Together with the Paramo mice ( Thomasomys ) and some other genera they form the tribe of Thomasomyini within the Sigmodontinae.