Lower California Rice Rat
Oryzomys peninsulae
Conservation Status
Data DeficientMammalia · Rodentia · Cricetidae
About
Oryzomys peninsulae, also known as the Lower California rice rat, is a species of rodent from western Mexico. Restricted to the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, it is a member of the genus Oryzomys of family Cricetidae. Only about 20 individuals, collected around 1900, are known, and subsequent destruction of its riverine habitat may have driven the species to extinction.
Fun Fact
Its fur is grayish-brown on the forequarters, but reddish-brown on the hindquarters; this coloration pattern is unique among western Mexican Oryzomys.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Range may be relictual in nature: while Oryzomys is currently found along the eastern coast of the Gulf of California only as far north as coastal southern Sonora, the past distribution of the genus may have extended further northward, perhaps even into the southwestern United States, and from there south into Baja California.
Diet
To be updated
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Change
- Human Disturbance