Colombian Mammals

Neacomys spinosus, also known as the Common Neacomys,Common Bristly Mouse, or Bristly Mouse, is a nocturnal rodent species from South America in the genus Neacomys. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, where it often lives in transition areas between lowland forest and open regions. Its diet consists of insects, seeds and fruit. less ↑

Neacomys tenuipes, also known as the Narrow-footed Neacomys or Narrow-footed Bristly Mouse, is found along the northern Andes from northwestern Venezuela through Colombia into Ecuador, in rainforest at elevations from 400 to 1750 m. Populations of small Neacomys in lowland Amazonia, previously assigned to this species, are now recognized as belonging to separate species. less ↑

Oecomys bicolor, also known as the White-bellied Oecomys or Bicolored Arboreal Rice Rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It has a wide distribution in Amazonia, occurring in northwestern Brazil, northern Bolivia, eastern Peru, eastern Ecuador, eastern Colombia, much of Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, and extends into eastern Panama, but it may in fact contain more than one species. less ↑

Oecomys concolor, also known as the Unicolored Oecomys,Unicolored Rice Rat, or Unicolored Arboreal Rice Rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in tropical rainforest in Amazonia, but its range is poorly documented; it has been recorded in northwestern Brazil, southeastern Colombia, and southern Venezuela. less ↑

Oecomys superans, also known as the Large Oecomys or Foothill Arboreal Rice Rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It is found along the eastern slope of the Andes in southern Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru and east into Amazonia, including parts of Brazil. Its distribution is poorly known, and it may also occur further south, into Bolivia. less ↑

Oecomys trinitatis, also known as the Long-furred Oecomys,Long-furred Rice Rat,Trinidad Arboreal Rice Rat, or Big Arboreal Rice Rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. As currently constituted, it has a wide distribution in Central America and South America, being found in southern Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, much of Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru. It may in fact include more than one... less ↑

Oecomys speciosus, also known as the savannah oecomys,arboreal rice rat, or Venezuelan arboreal rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oecomys of family Cricetidae. It ranges over northeastern Colombia and much of Venezuela, including the island of Trinidad. This rodent lives in tropical rainforest and tropical dry forest, including secondary forest and gallery forest, as well as in savanna habitat. less ↑

Oligoryzomys fulvescens, also known as the fulvous colilargo,fulvous pygmy rice rat, or northern pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found from southern Mexico through Central America into South America, where it occurs south into Peru and Brazil, and includes numerous synonyms, including the type species of the genus, Oryzomys navus Bangs, 1899. The taxonomy of this species is unresolved, and it may be found to... less ↑

Zygodontomys brevicauda, also known as the Short-tailed Zygodont,Short-tailed Cane Mouse, or Common Cane Mouse, is a species of rodent in the genus Zygodontomys of tribe Oryzomyini. It occurs from Costa Rica via Panama, Colombia and Venezuela into Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and northern Brazil, including Trinidad and Tobago. It includes three subspecies: Zygodontomys brevicauda brevicauda, Zygodontomys brevicauda cherriei, and Zygodontomys brevicauda microtinus. Many Zygodontomys brevicauda serve as viral reservoirs, causing illnesses such as Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever.... less ↑

Sigmodontomys alfari, also known as the Short-tailed Sigmodontomys,Alfaro's Rice Water Rat,Cana Rice Rat, or Allen's Rice Rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Sigmodontomys of family Cricetidae. It is found from Honduras through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama into South America, where it occurs from Venezuela through Colombia to Ecuador. less ↑

Melanomys caliginosus, also known as the Dusky Melanomys or Dusky Rice Rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Melanomys of family Cricetidae. It is found from Central America, in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama, into South America, where it occurs in Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador. Populations currently classified under M. caliginosus may in fact include more than one species. less ↑

The Amazon dwarf squirrel or Guianan squirrel (Microsciurus flaviventer) is a small chipmunk-size tree squirrel in the genus Microsciurus and tribe Sciurini found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It is diurnal and arboreal, coming to ground from time to time. Its diet consists of fruit, the latex of certain trees, and arthropods. It is mostly solitary, but may be found with others feeding on the same tree. less ↑

The Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) is a species of manatee of the order Sirenia. It is found living in the freshwater habitats of the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Venezuela. Though, it is estimated if current harvest levels are mainainted in Ecuador, it will be gone within 10-15 years. Its color is grey, but sometimes appears to be a brownish grey. It has thick, wrinkled skin, and is almost hairless, but has... less ↑

The Eastern Cordillera small-footed shrew (Cryptotis brachyonyx) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the western slopes of the central Cordillera Oriental at elevations from 1300 to 2715 m. It resembles C. colombiana. The species is only known from four individuals collected at two localities, the most recent record being from 1925. less ↑

The Tamá small-eared shrew (Cryptotis tamensis) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is known from the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia and the Páramo de Tamá of western Venezuela, where it has been found primarily in cloud forest at elevations between 2380 and 3330 m. Its range includes Venezuela's El Tamá National Park. The closest relatives of the species are C. meridensis and C. thomasi. less ↑

The Medellín small-eared shrew (Cryptotis medellinia) is a species of mammal in the family Soricidae. It is endemic to Colombia, where it is known from the northern parts of the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central at elevations from 2500 to 2800 m. The species is found in montane forest and cultivated areas, and is subject to predation from the crab-eating fox. The specific name refers to the city of Medellín. less ↑

The pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus) is a species of three-toed sloth that inhabits tropical rainforests in northern South America. It is similar in appearance to, and often confused with, the brown-throated sloth, which has a much wider distribution. Genetic evidence has been interpreted to suggest the two species diverged only around 400,000 years ago, although the most recent indicates the split was closer to 6 million years. less ↑

The Llanos long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus sabanicola) is a species of armadillo in the family Dasypodidae. It is endemic to Colombia and Venezuela. The species is closely related to the nine-banded armadillo and the great long-nosed armadillo. It has very little hair and can weigh up to 22 pounds (9.5 kg), and can grow to about 2.1 feet (60 cm) long. It lives in dense cover near limestone formations. Like most other armadillos, it eats ants. less ↑

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), or the nine-banded, long-nosed armadillo, is a medium-sized mammal. It is found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. Its ancestors originated in South America, and remained there until thousands of years later when the formation of the Isthmus of Panama allowed them to enter North America as part of the Great American Interchange. The nine-banded armadillo is a solitary, mainly nocturnal animal, found... less ↑

The giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), colloquially tatou, ocarro, tatu-canastra or tatú carreta, is the largest living species of armadillo (although the extinct glyptodonts were much larger). It was once found widely throughout the tropical forests of eastern South America and now ranges throughout varied habitat as far south as northern Argentina. This species is considered vulnerable to extinction. less ↑

The southern tamandua, also called a collared anteater, or lesser anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla), is a species of anteaters from South America. It is a solitary animal, found in many habitats from mature to highly disturbed secondary forests and arid savannas. It feeds on ants, termites, and bees. Its very strong fore claws can be used to break insect nests or to defend itself. less ↑

The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), also known as the ant bear, is a large insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteaters and is classified with sloths in the order Pilosa. This species is mostly terrestrial, in contrast to other living anteaters and sloths, which are arboreal or semiarboreal. The giant anteater is the largest of its family, 182–217 cm (5.97–7.12 ft) in length, with weights of 33–41 kg (73–90 lb)... less ↑

The gray-handed night monkey (Aotus griseimembra) is a species of night monkey formerly considered a subspecies of Gray-bellied night monkey of the family Aotidae. Its range consists of parts of Colombia and Venezuela. The exact classification of the gray-handed night monkey is uncertain. While some authors consider it a subspecies of the gray-bellied night monkey, A. lemurinus, other authors consider it a separate species, A. griseimembra. less ↑

The Hernández-Camacho's night monkey (Aotus jorgehernandezi) is a species of night monkey of the family Aotidae. It was first described in 2007 by Thomas Defler and Marta Bueno. It has a gray neck and a white patch over each eye, separated by a black band. The fur on the chest, belly, lower arms and lower wrists is thick and white. It differs from other gray-necked night monkey species other than Brumback's night monkey in having 50... less ↑

The Panamanian night monkey or Chocoan night monkey (Aotus zonalis) is a species of night monkey formerly considered a subspecies of the gray-bellied night monkey of the family Aotidae. Its range consists of Panama and the Chocó region of Colombia. There are also unconfirmed reports of its occurrence in Costa Rica, especially on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The species definitely occurs in the Atlantic lowlands of Panama close to the Costa Rica border. less ↑

Rosenberg's fruit-eating bat, Artibeus rosenbergi (often misspelled rosenbergii), is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in humid tropical forests in the El Chocó region on the coast of western Colombia and northwestern Ecuador at altitudes below 500 m. Until recently it was included within A. glaucus, a canopy frugivore that also eats insects. It is threatened by deforestation. The specific name is in honor of collector W. F. H. Rosenberg. less ↑

Thomas's fruit-eating bat (Artibeus watsoni), sometimes also popularly called Watson's fruit-eating bat, is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. The species name is in honor of H. J. Watson, a plantation owner in western Panama who used to send specimens to the British Natural History Museum, where Oldfield Thomas would often describe them. less ↑

The Neblina uakari (Cacajao hosomi) or black-headed uakari, is a newly described species of monkey from the far northwest Brazilian Amazon and adjacent southern Venezuela. It was found by Jean-Phillipe Boubli of the University of Auckland and described together with the more easternly distributed Aracá uakari in 2008. Until then, the black-headed uakari (found to the west and south of the Neblina uakari) was the only species of mainly black uakari that was recognized. less ↑

The Red-backed bearded saki, Chiropotes chiropotes, is a species of bearded saki, a type of New World monkey, from South America. It is found north of the Amazon River and east of the Branco River in Brazil and the Guianas. It is possible the scientific name C. chiropotes belongs to the more westernly brown-backed bearded saki, in which case the correct scientific name for the red-backed bearded saki would be C. sagulatus. less ↑

The Andean porcupine (Coendou quichua) is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae. It is known from the Andes of Ecuador as well as from the Cordillera Oriental of northeastern Colombia near San Vicente de Chucurí. Although it is morphologically distinctive, it has sometimes been described as a subspecies of C. bicolor. The species is little known, but is probably arboreal, nocturnal and solitary like its relatives. less ↑

The Santa Marta porcupine (Coendou sanctamartae) is a species of rodent in the family Erethizontidae. It is known from dry forests on the lower slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía del Perijá mountains of northern Colombia, at altitudes below 500 and 1100 m, respectively, and intervening lowlands, and may also be present in nearby parts of Venezuela. It has sometimes been described as a subspecies of C. prehensilis. Its karyotype has 2n... less ↑

The lowland paca (Cuniculus paca), also known as the spotted paca, is a large rodent found in tropical and sub-tropical America, from East-Central Mexico to Northern Argentina. It is called paca in most of its range, but tepezcuintle in most of Mexico and Central America, pisquinte in northern Costa Rica, jaleb in the Yucatán peninsula, conejo pintado in Panamá, guanta in Ecuador, majás or picuro in Peru, jochi pintado in Bolivia, and boruga or guardatinaja in... less ↑