Colombian Oldfield Mouse vs Cramp Balls

Thomasomys dispar compared with Daldinia concentrica

Key Differences

• Colombian Oldfield Mouse is Data Deficient while Cramp Balls is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Colombian Oldfield Mouse	Cramp Balls
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Sordariomycetes (Sordariomycetes)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Xylariales (Xylariales)
Family	Cricetidae	Hypoxylaceae
Genus	Thomasomys	Daldinia
Species	Thomasomys dispar	Daldinia concentrica

Conservation Status

Colombian Oldfield Mouse

DD — Data Deficient

Cramp Balls

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Colombian Oldfield Mouse	Cramp Balls
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Colombian Oldfield Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Colombia.

Cramp Balls

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Brazil). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Colombian Oldfield Mouse

<em>Thomasomys dispar</em>, commonly known as the Colombian Oldfield Mouse, is a small rodent species belonging to the genus <em>Thomasomys</em> within the family Cricetidae. This species is classified as Data Deficient, indicating that insufficient information is currently available to evaluate its conservation status with confidence. It has been documented in Colombia, where it inhabits diverse terrestrial and aquatic-adjacent environments. Members of the genus <em>Thomasomys</em> are typically associated with high-altitude Andean habitats, including páramo grasslands, shrublands, and montane forest edges, where they occupy ground-level microhabitats and burrow in soft soils. These mice are generally omnivorous, consuming seeds, plant material, and invertebrates, though specific dietary data for <em>Thomasomys dispar</em> have not been recorded. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature. The Data Deficient classification highlights the need for targeted surveys in Colombian Andean regions to determine population size, distribution, and the ecological requirements of this poorly known rodent.