Cotton rat

A cotton rat is any member of the rodent genus Sigmodon. Their name derives from their damaging effects on cotton as well as other plantation crops, such as sugarcane, corn, peanut and rice. Cotton rats have small ears and dark coats, and are found in North and South America. Members of this genus are distributed in the Southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South American countries of: Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname. Many of the species are found in Mexico.

They are primarily herbivores. The molars of cotton rats are S-shaped when viewed from above. The genus name literally means S-tooth.

Sigmodon hispidus was the first model organism to be used in polio research.

Classification

Genus Sigmodon

Subgenus Sigmodon

Sigmodon hispidus species group

Sigmodon alleni - Allen's cotton rat

Sigmodon arizonae - Arizona cotton rat

Sigmodon hirsutus - Southern cotton rat

Sigmodon hispidus - Hispid cotton rat

Sigmodon mascotensis - Jaliscan cotton rat

Sigmodon ochrognathus - Yellow-nosed cotton rat

Sigmodon planifrons - Miahuatlán cotton rat

Sigmodon toltecus - Toltec cotton rat

Sigmodon zanjonensis - montane cotton rat

Sigmodon fulviventer species group

Sigmodon fulviventer - tawny-bellied cotton rat

Sigmodon inopinatus - unexpected cotton rat

Sigmodon leucotis - white-eared cotton rat

Sigmodon peruanus - Peruvian cotton rat

Subgenus Sigmomys

Sigmodon alstoni - Alston's cotton rat

References

External links

Tree of Life: cotton rats

Sigmodontinae

Rat, Cotton

Taxa named by George Ord