The Miahuatlán cotton rat (''Sigmodon planifrons'') was formerly considered a

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

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

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 over 870 species, it is either the largest or second-largest family ...

. It is found only on the Pacific slope of the

Sierra de Miahuatlán The Sierra Madre del Sur is a mountain range in southern Mexico, extending from southern Michoacán east through Guerrero, to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in eastern Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one ...

in the

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

state of

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

, where it lives in deciduous tropical forest. The IUCN currently considers it to be conspecific with ''

Sigmodon alleni Allen's cotton rat (''Sigmodon alleni'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to western Mexico, where its distribution extends from Sinaloa to Oaxaca. The formerly recognized '' S. planifrons'' and '' S. vulcani'' are n ...

''.

References

Cotton rats Mammals described in 1933 Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Sigmodon-stub