Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse vs Thyme Plume

Heteromys teleus compared with Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Key Differences

• Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse is Vulnerable while Thyme Plume is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse	Thyme Plume
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Chordates)	Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Insecta (Insects)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Lepidoptera (Butterflies & Moths)
Family	Heteromyidae	Pterophoridae
Genus	Heteromys	Merrifieldia
Species	Heteromys teleus	Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse and Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse

VU — Vulnerable

Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse	Thyme Plume
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Ecuador. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Thyme Plume

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 8 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (Algeria, Morocco), Asia (7 countries), and Europe (35 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.