Aegialomys galapagoensis
| Aegialomys galapagoensis | |
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| The extinct A. galapagoensis galapagoensis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Genus: | Aegialomys |
| Species: | A. galapagoensis |
| Binomial name | |
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Aegialomys galapagoensis (Waterhouse, 1839) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Oryzomys bauri |
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Oryzomys bauri
Oryzomys galapagoensis
Aegialomys galapagoensis, also known as the Galápagos rice rat or Galápagos oryzomys, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae from the Galápagos Islands.
It belongs to the genus Aegialomys in tribe Oryzomyini, but was previously placed in Oryzomys as Oryzomys galapagoensis. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Like many of the animals of the Galápagos, it is tame and unafraid of humans. Scientists working on Santa Fé Island and Fernandina Island have reported that it is necessary to keep tents open to prevent these rice rats from chewing in during the night. The subspecies A. g. bauri from Santa Fé Island is sometimes considered to represent a full species. A. g. galapagoensis was formerly found on San Cristóbal Island, where Charles Darwin captured several live specimens on the second voyage of HMS Beagle in 1855. However, it is believed that it became extinct only decades after Darwin's visit, and the next specimens collected were subfossil remains found in lava tubes by David Steadman and colleagues in 1984. Its closest relative is Aegialomys xanthaeolus, the only other species in the genus, which is found in coastal Ecuador and Peru.
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