Rheomys raptor, also known as the Goldman's water mouse or Goldman's Ichthyomyine,[2] is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.[3] This mouse is semiaquatic and its carnivorous diet includes invertebrates.[1] The conservation status of the species is rated as "least concern" because of its sizable population and the presence of several protected areas within its range.[1] However, deforestation and water pollution represent potential threats.[1]
Distribution and habitat
Rheomys raptor is found in Central America with sightings mainly in Costa Rica[4] but has also been seen in eastern Panama.[5]R. raptor lives in forests with a water source nearby, such as a fast-flowing stream, and inland wetlands.[6]R. raptor has been identified in Costa Rican and Panamaniancloud forests at altitudes ranging from 1300 to 1600 meters.[1]
Parasites
Rheomys raptor is the first known species of its genus to harbor an ectoparasite, Hoplopleura janzeni.[7]H. janzeni is a newly identified species of Hoplopleura, sucking lice, that was solely discovered on a female R. raptor located at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica.[7]
^Reid, Fiona A.; Langtimm, Catherine A. (1993). "Distributional and Natural History Notes for Selected Mammals from Costa Rica". The Southwestern Naturalist. 38 (3): 299โ302. doi:10.2307/3671441. ISSN0038-4909. JSTOR3671441.
^Hooper, Emmet T. (1968). "Habitats and Food of Amphibious Mice of the Genus Rheomys". Journal of Mammalogy. 49 (3): 550โ553. doi:10.2307/1378230. ISSN0022-2372. JSTOR1378230.