Thomas’s Rice Rat

Also known as the Nicaraguan Oryzomys or the Nicaraguan Rice Rat, Thomas’s Rice Rat is a rodent that belongs to the genus Oryzomys. Not much information is known about this species, as only 3 specimens have been recovered since 1904. These specimens were all collected from south-eastern Nicaragua.

The yellow dot is where Thomas's Rice Rat was found

This rodent is a medium-sized rice rat which has a head to body length of 110 – 128 cm. Its upperparts are gray-brown, while its underparts are grey. The tail is slightly darker on the top than at the bottom. All 3 specimens were caught near the water so it is though that Thomas’s Rice Rat is semi-aquatic, particularly because its hindfeet have small interdigital webs.

According to the IUCN Red List for 2009, Thomas’s Rice Rat has been classified as being of “Least Concern”. This is because the distribution for this rat may be larger than what is known. It is presumed that the population is larger than just the 3 specimens that were caught. In addition, it is also thought that there are no current threats to its habitat in Nicaragua.