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The New World rats and mice are often considered part of a single subfamily, Sigmodontinae, but the recent trend among muroid taxonomists is to recognize three separate subfamilies. This strategy better represents the extreme diversity of species numbers and ecological types.
When those genera are included, the species count numbers at least 508. Their distribution includes much of the New World , but the genera are predominantly South American , such as brucies . They invaded South America from Central America as part of the Great American Interchange near the end of the Miocene , about 5 million years ago. [ 1 ]
Rattus rattus, the black rat, is considered to be one of the world's worst invasive species. [59] Also known as the ship rat , it has been carried worldwide as a stowaway on seagoing vessels for millennia and has usually accompanied men to any new area visited or settled by human beings by sea.
The cricetids are small mammals, ranging from just 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in) in length and 7 g (0.25 oz) in weight in the New World pygmy mouse up to 41–62 cm (16–24 in) and 1.1 kg (2.4 lb) in the muskrat. The length of their tails varies greatly in relation to their bodies, and they may be either furred or sparsely haired.
Print/export Download as PDF; Printable version; In other projects ... Pages in category "Brave New World" The following 8 pages are in this category, out of 8 total.
The currently accepted scientific name for the hispid cotton rat is Sigmodon hispidus.It is a member of the family Cricetidae. [5] Although 25 subspecies are accepted, including the type subspecies, [6] the most distinct genetic subdivision within S. hispidus separates the species into two genetic lineages, an eastern one and a western one, which hybridize along a contact zone.
The best-known Rattus species are the black rat (R. rattus) and the brown rat (R. norvegicus). The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats and originated in Asia . Rats are bigger than most Old World mice , which are their relatives, but seldom weigh over 500 grams (1.1 lb) in the wild.
Ornithonyssus bacoti (also known as the tropical rat mite and formerly called Liponyssus bacoti) is a hematophagous parasite. [1] It feeds on blood and serum from many hosts. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] O. bacoti can be found and cause disease on rats and wild rodents most commonly, but also small mammals and humans when other hosts are scarce.