|Scientific Name:||Heteromys anomalus|
|Species Authority:||(Thompson, 1815)|
Mus anomalus Thompson, 1815
|Taxonomic Notes:||This is definitely a species complex in eastern Venezuela (Patton 2005). The form occurring on the Península de Paraguaná has been split to form the species Heteromys oasicus (Anderson 2003).|
|Red List Category & Criteria:||Least Concern ver 3.1|
|Assessor(s):||Anderson, R.P. & Gómez-Laverde, M.|
|Reviewer(s):||McKnight, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team) & Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority)|
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, occurrence in many protected areas, lack of major threats, tolerance to some degree of habitat disturbance, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.
|Range Description:||This species occurs across the Caribbean coast and northern foothills of Colombia and Venezuela (including Margarita Island), and Trinidad and Tobago. It ranges in elevation from sea level typically up to around 1,500 to 1,600 m (Anderson 2003).|
Native:Colombia; Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
|Range Map:||Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.|
|Population:||It is common (Lord 1999). It can exist at densities of up to 2.2 individuals per hectare (Eisenberg 1989). This species is often collected in large numbers.|
|Habitat and Ecology:||
This is one of the best-studied species of the genus. It is strongly associated with moist areas and multistratal tropical evergreen forests. It is also found in deciduous and moderately mesic evergreen tropical forests, as well as in subsistence agricultural areas (Anderson 2003). In parts of the tropics that experience extended dry periods it exists in gallery forest in association with streams.
This pocket mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial, but can climb in small shrubs. It digs an extensive burrow system in which it constructs a nest. The species prefers moist forests of tropical and subtropical mountains. It feeds on seeds, some fruit, grains, succulent vegetation and insects. Young mature to independence within fifty days of birth and may be caught near the maternal burrow. They subsequently disperse to establish a new burrow system (Eisenberg 1989; Lord 1999).
|Major Threat(s):||This species is a forest obligate species but can live in disturbed forest (R. Anderson pers. comm.).|
|Conservation Actions:||This species occurs in many protected areas (R. Anderson pers. comm.).|
|Citation:||Anderson, R.P. & Gómez-Laverde, M. 2008. Heteromys anomalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 February 2015.|
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