Floating Heart vs Pacific Spiny-rat

Nymphoides peltata compared with Proechimys decumanus

Key Differences

• Floating Heart is Endangered while Pacific Spiny-rat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Floating Heart	Pacific Spiny-rat
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Menyanthaceae	Echimyidae
Genus	Nymphoides	Proechimys
Species	Nymphoides peltata	Proechimys decumanus

Conservation Status

Floating Heart

EN — Endangered

Pacific Spiny-rat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Floating Heart	Pacific Spiny-rat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Floating Heart

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, tundra, and tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Australasia and Afrotropic and Oceanian realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Africa (South Africa), Asia (Taiwan), Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and Oceania and the Pacific (New Zealand). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Pacific Spiny-rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Found in Ecuador. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.