NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Marsh Oryzomys
Oryzomys palustris (Harlan, 1837)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The marsh rice rat (Oryzomys palustris) is a semiaquatic North American rodent in the family Cricetidae. It usually occurs in wetland habitats, such as swamps and salt marshes. It is found mostly in the eastern and southern United States, from New Jersey and Kansas south to Florida and northeasternmost Tamaulipas, Mexico; its range previously extended further west and north, where it may have been a commensal in corn-cultivating communities. Weighing about 40 to 80 g (1.4 to 2.8 oz), the marsh rice rat is a medium-sized rodent that resembles the common black and brown rat. The upperparts are generally gray-brown, but are reddish in many Florida populations. The feet show several specializations for life in the water. The skull is large and flattened, and is short at the front. John Bachman discovered the marsh rice rat in 1816, and it was formally described in 1837. Several subspecies have been described since the 1890s, mainly from Florida, but disagreement exists over their validity. The Florida Keys population is sometimes classified as a different species, the silver rice rat (O. argentatus).
Wikipedia contributors, Marsh rice rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T03:43:22.168322+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Oryzomys palustris (Harlan, 1837)
- Name authority
- (Harlan, 1837)
- Common name
- Marsh Oryzomys
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Cricetidae
- Genus
- Oryzomys
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
- superfamilyMuroidea Illiger, 1811
- familyCricetidae Fischer, 1817
- subfamilySigmodontinae Wagner, 1843
- genusOryzomys Baird, 1857
- speciesOryzomys palustris (Harlan, 1837)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Oryzomys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Black-eared OryzomysOryzomys melanotis Thomas, 1893 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nelson's OryzomysOryzomys nelsoni Merriam, 1898 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| Chapman's OryzomysOryzomys chapmani Thomas, 1898 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Curaçao OryzomysOryzomys curasoae McFarlane & Debrot, 2001 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extinct |
| Cloud Forest OryzomysOryzomys saturatior Merriam, 1901 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gorgas' OryzomysOryzomys gorgasi Hershkovitz, 1971 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nicaraguan OryzomysOryzomys dimidiatus (Thomas, 1905) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Oryzomys palustris coloratus Bangs, 1898 Bangs, 1898 | synonym |
| Oryzomys palustris natator Chapman, 1893 Chapman, 1893 | synonym |
| Oryzomys palustris palustris (Harlan, 1837) (Harlan, 1837) | synonym |
| Oryzomys palustris texensis J. A. Allen, 1894 J. A. Allen, 1894 | synonym |
| Oryzomys argentatus Spitzer & Lazell, 1978 Spitzer & Lazell, 1978 | synonym |
| Mus palustris Harlan, 1837 Harlan, 1837 | synonym |
| Oryzomys natator floridanus Merriam, 1901 Merriam, 1901 | synonym |
| Oryzomys palustris sanibeli Hamilton, 1955 Hamilton, 1955 | synonym |
| Oryzomys palustris planirostris Hamilton, 1955 Hamilton, 1955 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=180336 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6SYYN. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.