Crab-eating rat

The crab-eating rat is a species of semiaquatic rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is native to Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Its lives near areas of rivers and swamps.

Distribution

This species is distributed across the Andes mountains of western Venezuela, Colombia and northern Ecuador. It occurs in elevations between 1000-2800 meters. It lives in mountainous regions with clouded forests near areas with rivers, streams and swamps.

Conservation

While they have been classified as least concerned by the IUCN red list, their population of the crab-eating rat is decreasing due to habitat loss from deforestation, agriculture and aquaculture and from pollution of water.