Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat vs Ara rouge

Nephelomys nimbosus compared with Ara macao

Key Differences

• Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat is Vulnerable while Ara rouge is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat	Ara rouge
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (mammifères)	Aves (oiseau)
Order	Rodentia (Rodents)	Psittaciformes (Parrots)
Family	Cricetidae	Psittacidae (True Parrots)
Genus	Nephelomys	Ara (Macaws)
Species	Nephelomys nimbosus	Ara macao

Evolutionary Relationship

Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat and Ara rouge share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat

VU — Vulnerable

Ara rouge

LC — Least Concern

Population: ~50.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat	Ara rouge
Diet	—	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	—	50 years
Average Length	—	85 cm
Average Weight	—	1.0 kg

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.

Ara rouge

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Population trends indicate a declining trajectory in parts of its range.

Ara rouge

One of the most brilliantly colored birds in the Americas, scarlet macaws display vivid red, yellow, and blue plumage with wingspans reaching 1 meter. Found in humid lowland forests from Mexico to Bolivia, they are highly intelligent, long-lived — up to 75 years — and form lifelong pair bonds. They travel long distances to clay licks where they consume mineral-rich soil to detoxify seeds. Listed as Least Concern but locally threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador