Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat vs Ring-tailed cat, Cacomistle

Nephelomys nimbosus compared with Bassariscus astutus

Key Differences

• Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat is Vulnerable while Ring-tailed cat, Cacomistle is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat	Ring-tailed cat, Cacomistle
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (Mammals)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Cricetidae	Procyonidae (Raccoons)
Genus	Nephelomys	Bassariscus
Species	Nephelomys nimbosus	Bassariscus astutus

Evolutionary Relationship

Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat and Ring-tailed cat, Cacomistle share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (Mammals)

Conservation Status

Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat

VU — Vulnerable

Ring-tailed cat, Cacomistle

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat	Ring-tailed cat, Cacomistle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

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

Ring-tailed cat, Cacomistle

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.