NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Ecuadorian Cotton Rat
Sigmodon (Sigmodon) inopinatus Anthony, 1924
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 unexpected cotton rat (Sigmodon inopinatus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Ecuador at elevations of 3500 to 4000 m, where it has been found in association with streams and marshes. It is also known as the Ecuadorian cotton rat.
Wikipedia contributors, Unexpected cotton rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T09:09:53.785352+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Sigmodon (Sigmodon) inopinatus Anthony, 1924
- Name authority
- Anthony, 1924
- Common name
- Ecuadorian Cotton Rat
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Cricetidae
- Genus
- Sigmodon
- 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
- genusSigmodon Say & Ord, 1825
- subgenusSigmodon Say & Ord, 1825
- speciesSigmodon (Sigmodon) inopinatus Anthony, 1924
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Sigmodon. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Hispid Cotton RatSigmodon (Sigmodon) hispidus Say & Ord, 1825 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-eared Cotton RatSigmodon (Sigmodon) leucotis Bailey, 1902 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Southern Cotton RatSigmodon (Sigmodon) hirsutus (Burmeister, 1854) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Peruvian Cotton RatSigmodon (Sigmodon) peruanus J. A. Allen, 1897 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Toltec Cotton RatSigmodon (Sigmodon) toltecus (Saussure, 1860) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Miahuatlán Cotton RatSigmodon (Sigmodon) planifrons Nelson & Goldman, 1933 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Allen's Cotton RatSigmodon (Sigmodon) alleni Bailey, 1902 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tawny-bellied Cotton RatSigmodon (Sigmodon) fulviventer J. A. Allen, 1889 | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
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=633358 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:6YPCV. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.