NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Ecuadorean Rice Rat
Nephelomys auriventer (Thomas, 1899)
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
Nephelomys auriventer, also known as the golden-bellied oryzomys or Ecuadorian rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Nephelomys of family Cricetidae. Oldfield Thomas originally described it, in 1899, as a species of Oryzomys, Oryzomys auriventer, and considered it most similar to Oryzomys aureus (currently Thomasomys aureus). In 1926, a subspecies was described from an Ecuadorian locality, Oryzomys auriventer nimbosus, and it was suggested that O. auriventer was closely related to O. albigularis. This proposal was formalized in 1961 by including O. auriventer within the species O. albigularis, but by 1976 O. auriventer was recognized again as a separate species. In 2006, Oryzomys albigularis and related species, including O. auriventer, were transferred to the new genus Nephelomys. Simultaneously, the former subspecies nimbosus was recognized as a separate species, Nephelomys nimbosus. N. auriventer is a fairly large species, though it is somewhat smaller than the black rat (Rattus rattus). It has fine, not woolly fur which is about 10 millimetres (0.39 in) in length at the back. The upperparts are blackish, becoming lighter towards the sides.
Wikipedia contributors, Nephelomys auriventer; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T08:16:31.104712+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Nephelomys auriventer (Thomas, 1899)
- Name authority
- (Thomas, 1899)
- Common name
- Ecuadorean Rice Rat
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Cricetidae
- Genus
- Nephelomys
- 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
- genusNephelomys Weksler, Percequillo & Voss, 2006
- speciesNephelomys auriventer (Thomas, 1899)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Nephelomys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Light-footed Rice RatNephelomys levipes (Thomas, 1902) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Tomes's Rice RatNephelomys albigularis (Tomes, 1860) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Costa Central OryzomysNephelomys caracolus (Thomas, 1914) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nephelomys pectoralis (J. A. Allen, 1912) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nephelomys childi (Thomas, 1895) | CricetidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Boquete Rice RatNephelomys devius (Bangs, 1902) | 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 auriventer Thomas, 1899 Thomas, 1899 | 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=972494 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:73WYX. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.