''Rheomys raptor'', also known as the Goldman's water mouse or Goldman's Ichthyomyine, is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

in the family

Cricetidae The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At almost 608 species, it is the second-largest family of mammals, and has m ...

. This mouse is

semiaquatic In biology, semiaquatic can refer to various types of animals that spend part of their time in water, or plants that naturally grow partially submerged in water. Examples are given below. Semiaquatic animals Semiaquatic animals include: * Verte ...

and its carnivorous diet includes invertebrates. The conservation status of the species is rated as "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

" because of its sizable population and the presence of several protected areas within its range. However, deforestation and water pollution represent potential threats.

Distribution and habitat

''Rheomys raptor'' is found in Central America with sightings mainly in Costa Rica but has also been seen in eastern Panama. ''R. raptor'' lives in forests with a water source nearby, such as a fast-flowing stream, and inland

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

. ''R. raptor'' has been identified in

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

n and

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

nian

cloud forests A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud ...

at altitudes ranging from 1300 to 1600 meters.

Parasites

''Rheomys raptor'' is the first known species of its genus to harbor an ectoparasite, ''Hoplopleura janzen''i. ''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.

References

Rheomys Rodents of Central America Mammals described in 1912 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Edward Alphonso Goldman {{Sigmodontinae-stub