Nearly foot-long ‘water mouse' with big feet found in Andes is a new species
The team collected three specimens, all found near the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, and determined it was a new species, according to a June 9 study published in the journal Diversity.
Incanomys mayopuma, or the Incan water mouse, is about 10 inches long and has traits such as a long flattened tail and large hindfeet with fringe hairs, which indicate it is strongly adapted to fast-flowing streams, according to researchers.
Researchers said the name mayopuma 'derives from Quechua, combining mayu (river) and puma (mountain lion). This name reflects the species' semi-aquatic habits and carnivorous nature, akin to the neotropical otter.'
While it can survive in water, it was found inland as well. Researchers trapped one specimen in a stream, another near a waterfall and the third nearly 1,000 feet away from the closest stream, according to the researchers.
The Andean highland habitat of the Incan water mouse is described as having mountain forests, steep sloped streams, abundant vegetation and abundant puddles during the rainy season, according to the study.
Researchers said the discovery is 'particularly striking given the remarkable' physical similarities between the Incan water mouse and other related species from which it is geographically isolated.
This is likely evidence of a process called allopatric distribution, when one species is split by a geographic barrier and evolves into a distinct species.
'Such exceptional diversity, driven by the complex topography of the Andes, highlights critical gaps in our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying these extraordinary adaptive radiations,' researchers said.
'Mounting threats to aquatic ecosystems—such as pollution, habitat degradation, and alterations to riparian zones—emphasize the urgent need to study and conserve these species, their ecological roles, and their fragile habitats.'
The research team included Horacio Zeballos, Alexánder Pari, César E. Medina, Kateryn Pino, Sandra Arias, Alayda L. Arce and Fiorella N. Gonzales.
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