Colorado river cotton rat
The Arizona cotton rat or Colorado River cotton rat (Sigmodon arizonae ) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States.
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Fo
FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
He
HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
Na
NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
Do
Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
So
SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
A
starts withThe Arizona cotton rat has a typical rat-like appearance, and is sufficiently similar to the hispid cotton rat that it was considered to be part of the same species until 1970, when genetic analysis confirmed its distinct nature. It has bristly brownish fur over most of its body, with whitish underparts and grey feet. The scaly tail is dark in color, with very sparse fur. Adults range from 25 to 36 centimetres (9.8 to 14.2 in)
in total length, including the 10 to 15 centimetres (3.9 to 5.9 in) long tail, and weigh anything from 83 to 300 grams (2.9 to 10.6 oz). Males are slightly larger than females, but the two sexes are otherwise similar in appearance.
Females have ten or twelve teats, suggesting a maximum litter size of around this number. Reproduction is thought to occur year-round.
The Arizona cotton rat is found in southern and central Arizona, the extreme southwestern corner of New Mexico, and in western Mexico from Sonora to Nayarit. They live close to rivers, streams, and other sources of fresh water in semidesert, open grassland, or swampy habitats throughout the region. They rely particularly on areas of dense grassy vegetation. Two of the five recognized subspecies are believed to have gone extinct during the twentieth century, including the nominate subspecies, Sigmodon arizonae arizonae. Three subspecies therefore remain:
