Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat vs Thyme Plume

Nephelomys nimbosus compared with Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Key Differences

• Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat is Vulnerable while Thyme Plume is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat	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	Cricetidae	Pterophoridae
Genus	Nephelomys	Merrifieldia
Species	Nephelomys nimbosus	Merrifieldia leucodactyla

Evolutionary Relationship

Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat and Thyme Plume share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat

VU — Vulnerable

Thyme Plume

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat	Thyme Plume
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.

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.