Aquatic rat | |
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Conservation status
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![]() Endangered (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Cricetidae |
Subfamily: | Sigmodontinae |
Genus: | Anotomys Thomas, 1906 |
Species: | A. leander
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Binomial name | |
Anotomys leander Thomas, 1906
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Synonyms | |
Rheomys leander (Thomas, 1906) |
The aquatic rat, Ecuador fish-eating rat, or fish-eating rat (Anotomys leander) is a South American species of semiaquatic rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is the only species in the genus Anotomys. The specific name leander was not explained in the original species description but probably refers to the Greek mythical figure Leander from the story of Hero and Leander.
Its diet is thought to actually consist mainly of aquatic arthropods. The species may be nocturnal. The karyotype has been reported to have 2n = 92, but this number apparently actually came from a specimen of Ichthyomys pittieri.
A. leander is known from the Andes of northern Ecuador and Colombia at elevations of 2,860–4,000 m (9,380–13,120 ft) above sea level. This poorly known and rare species occurs along swift, cold streams bordered by subalpine rainforest or grassy paramo. It occupies a severely fragmented area of about 40 km2. Habitat loss and water pollution are major threats.