Ecuadoran spiny pocket mouse
Encyclopedia
The Ecuadoran spiny pocket mouse (Heteromys teleus) is a species of rodent
in the Heteromyidae
family. It is endemic to central western Ecuador
, where it is found at elevations from sea level
to 2000 m on the coastal plain and western slopes of the Andes
. The species is nocturnal and lives in dry tropical evergreen forest
s; it creates well-defined runways, and is often found near streams. It is threatened by deforestation
.
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
in the Heteromyidae
Heteromyidae
The family of rodents that include kangaroo rats, kangaroo mice and rock pocket mice is the Heteromyidae family. Most heteromyids live in complex burrows within the deserts and grasslands of western North America, though species within the Heteromys and Liomys genera are also found in forests and...
family. It is endemic to central western Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, where it is found at elevations from sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
to 2000 m on the coastal plain and western slopes of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
. The species is nocturnal and lives in dry tropical evergreen forest
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred centimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons...
s; it creates well-defined runways, and is often found near streams. It is threatened by deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
.