The big-eared climbing rat (Ototylomys phyllotis ) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Central America from Mexico to Costa Rica.
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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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'...
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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starts withThe big-eared climbing rat is in the order Rodentia and in the family Cricetidae and is most widely distributed species in the genus Ototylomys. A second species of the genus was described in 2017 from the Mexican state of Chiapas. The genus dates back 3.35 Mya, prior to the Great American Biotic Interchange and Its initial occurrence was near Honduras and El Salvador.
Ototylomys is Greek for otus (ear), tylos (knob, knot, swelling), and mus (mouse), which describes the animals large ears and shelf-like skull.
The big-eared climbing rat is a slender rat with two colors; dark on top of its body and light below. Its eyes and ears are large. It has large naked ears and a long naked tail with scales. Its size and color varies depending on where it lives geographically but most populations have a creamy white underbelly except for those in Mexico and Guatemala, which have a slate-colored underbelly. The skull is flat on top and has a prominent interparietal bone and supraorbital ridges There is no sexual dimorphism in this species.
There does not seem to be a regular estrous cycle. The gestation length of the big-eared climbing rat is 52 days. Delayed implantation may occur in this species. The females exhibit post-partum estrus and the litter size may vary from 1-4.
From birth, newborns have been observed to be very advanced for their age. They chased their mothers almost from birth and by day 2 they are already 50% of the adults body length and respond to loud noises. By day 6 they open their eyes and they cling to their mothers teats for 30 days. Timing of sexual maternity varies within this species.
The big-eared climbing rat has been a subject of study due to a disease caused by Leishmania mexicana. This is an intracellular parasite that infects these rodents and makes them a good model choice for further research on this topic.
This species ranges from Mexico to Costa Rica.
Big-eared climbing rats are arboreal and nocturnal and they are seen both on the ground and in the trees. Their copulatory behavior is peculiar in that there is a copulatory lock.
The diet of the big-eared climbing rat is still incomplete but it mostly consists of fruit and leaves. We know their dietary needs are very not well known because the big-eared climbing rats that have been successfully housed in laboratories often have their tails fall off due to malnutrition.
