A pygmy rice rat eats a peppery snack

A Costa Rican pygmy rice rat is a small rodent species that is often found within mature forests and along forest edges, where it can be seen running on the ground or climbing among small branches, usually looking for fruits and insects. The small mammal uses its front paws to manipulate the Piper s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in ecology and the environment 2019-09, Vol.17 (7), p.369-369
Main Authors: Leiser‐Miller, Leith B, Kaliszewska, Zofia A, Villalobos‐Chaves, David, Santana, Sharlene E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Birds
Cracks
Endosperm
Forests
Fruits
Insects
Leaves
Nutrient cycles
Oryzomys palustris natator
Rainfall
Rice
Rodents
Seeds
Teeth
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Summary:A Costa Rican pygmy rice rat is a small rodent species that is often found within mature forests and along forest edges, where it can be seen running on the ground or climbing among small branches, usually looking for fruits and insects. The small mammal uses its front paws to manipulate the Piper stalk and cracks open the seeds with its teeth to consume the endosperm inside. It discards the seed husks on the leaves of the plant, leaving little trash piles behind The frequent and heavy rain in the area usually washes the piles to the ground beneath the plant, perhaps providing some nutrient cycling for the soil. Piper is a highly diverse genus of plants, and an important food resource for many animals. When Piper fruits ripen, birds and bats feast on them and disperse their seeds, forming mutualistic relationships with the plants.
ISSN:1540-9295
1540-9309
DOI:10.1002/fee.2096