Vespucci's rodent
Noronhomys vespuccii
Conservation Status
ExtinctMammalia · Rodentia · Cricetidae
About
Noronhomys vespuccii, also known as Vespucci's rodent, is an extinct rat species from the islands of Fernando de Noronha off northeastern Brazil. Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci may have seen it on a visit to Fernando de Noronha in 1503, but it subsequently became extinct, perhaps because of the exotic rats and mice introduced by the first explorers of the island. Numerous but fragmentary fossil remains of the animal, of uncertain but probably Holocene age, were discovered in 1973 and described in 1999.
Fun Fact
The lizard is probably Trachylepis atlantica and the record of snakes most likely refers to Amphisbaena ridleyi, which is actually an amphisbaenian instead of a snake.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Restricted to the archipelago, in sand dunes near the northeastern tip of the main island.
Diet
To be updated
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Destruction
- Overexploitation