'Orangish' critter found living along rivers in Amazon rainforest. It's a new species

[Judi Lynn]

‘Orangish’ critter found living along rivers in Amazon rainforest. It’s a new species

BY BRENDAN RASCIUS
OCTOBER 19, 2023 3:16 PM

- click for image -

https://tinyurl.com/ch58urzt

Researchers recently discovered a small, “orangish” creature dwelling near the Amazon River. The animal, a type of rice rat, was found in the heavily deforested Brazilian states of Pará and Rondônia, according to a study published Oct. 12 in the journal Systematics and Biodiversity.

Measuring about 3.5 inches, the rat is distinguished by its ginger-colored fur, researchers from various Brazilian universities said.

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https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/x1onk/picture280750755/alternates/FREE_1140/Rice-rat

So far it’s only been found near the Amazon River, researchers said. Photo from the journal Systematics and Biodiversity

DNA analysis revealed that it belongs to the genus Oecomys Thomas, a family of South American rats currently known to contain 19 species. It was given the name jamari in a nod to the Jamari National Forest, a swath of federally protected land within Brazil’s broader Amazonia biome.

More:
https://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article280752780.html

[ret5hd]

1. 3.5 inches???

Are you sure it wasn’t 6’5” and 215 lbs?

[Judi Lynn]

2. That little guy would be really hard to discover!

Greenpeace calls it an "Arboreal Rice Rat'