The Darwin’s Rice Rat or Darwin’s Galapagos Mouse (Nesoryzomys darwini) lives on Indefatigable Island in the Galapagos Islands.
The Rice Rats are various species in the Oryzomyini tribe of New World rats.
The head and body of the Rice Rat measure 9 – 20 centimetres and it has a tail length of 7.5 – 25 centimetres. It weighs around of 40 – 80 grams. However, size varies widely by species.
The diet of the Rice Rat includes grasses, seeds, fruits, crustaceans and small fish.
The Rice Rat was probably nocturnal and inhabits burrows or rock crevices under bushes. Only four specimens exist. The Rice Rat may have become extinct due to competition with introduced black and brown rats, or from catching diseases from them. However, other species of Rice Rat may still exist on Galapagos
In the Galapagos Islands, introduced rats were probably brought in pirate boats at the end of the seventeenth century.
Rodent control is the best means of preventing these diseases, especially in oceanic islands such as Galapagos which are vulnerable to the introduction of new diseases. In addition, their unique fauna and flora are affected. In some cases, they have resulted in the extinction of some species.
