Marsh Pea vs Pacific Spiny-rat

Lathyrus palustris compared with Proechimys decumanus

Key Differences

• Marsh Pea is Endangered while Pacific Spiny-rat is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Marsh Pea	Pacific Spiny-rat
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Fabales (Legumes & Allies)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Fabaceae	Echimyidae
Genus	Lathyrus	Proechimys
Species	Lathyrus palustris	Proechimys decumanus

Conservation Status

Marsh Pea

EN — Endangered

Pacific Spiny-rat

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Marsh Pea	Pacific Spiny-rat
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Marsh Pea

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including boreal forests and taiga, Mediterranean forests and woodlands, and deserts and xeric shrublands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Israel), Europe (7 countries), North America (Canada, United States), and South America (Brazil). 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.