Crab-eating rat

Crab-eating rat
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Sigmodontinae
Genus:	Ichthyomys
Species:	I. hydrobates
Binomial name
Ichthyomys hydrobates (Winge, 1891)

The crab-eating rat (Ichthyomys hydrobates) is a species of semiaquatic rodent in the family Cricetidae.^[2] It is native to Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Its lives near areas of rivers and swamps.

Distribution

This species is distributed across the Andes mountains of western Venezuela, Colombia and northern Ecuador. It occurs in elevations between 1000-2800 meters. It lives in mountainous regions with clouded forests near areas with rivers, streams and swamps.^[1]

Conservation

While they have been classified as least concerned by the IUCN red list, their population of the crab-eating rat is decreasing due to habitat loss from deforestation, agriculture and aquaculture and from pollution of water.^[1]

References

1. Soriano, P. (2019). "Ichthyomys hydrobates". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019 e.T10761A22384446. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T10761A22384446.en. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
2. Musser, G. G.; Carleton, M. D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1120. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.