Rice Rat (Galapagos)

Galapagos Wildlife: Galapagos Rice Rat © Fuller

Galapagos Rice Rat © Fuller

Species Data

Common Name Galapagos rice rat
Scientific Name Aegialomys galapagoensis
Spanish Name Rata gigante de Santa Cruz e Isabela
Conservation Status

Galapagos Graphics: IUCN Red List Vulnerable © Dan Wright

Vulnerable 

Endemic/Native/Introduced

Endemic 

Size About 27 cm (from head to the end of the tail)
Average Lifespan Up to 2 years
Predators The Galapagos hawk, short-eared owl, snakes and introduced cats.
Food Omnivore (plants such as grass seeds and small invertebrates)
Animal Class Mammal

Species Overview

Similar to many rodents, the Galapagos rice rat is most active after dark and usually positions its burrow in the hollow trunks of cacti or underneath rocks. The rat is thought to prefer a desert-type habitat with cacti, small trees and shrubs, and is one of very few types of rat that is native to Galapagos and was not introduced. These endemic rats are slowly decreasing in number due to the introduction of other rats such as the black rat and a sub species of this type of rat has already become extinct on San Cristobal.

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Species Data
Common Name Galapagos rice rat
Scientific Name Aegialomys galapagoensis
Spanish Name Rata gigante de Santa Cruz e Isabela
Conservation Status

Galapagos Graphics: IUCN Red List Vulnerable © Dan Wright

Vulnerable 

Endemic / Native / Introduced

Endemic 

Size About 27 cm (from head to the end of the tail)
Average Lifespan Up to 2 years
Predators The Galapagos hawk, short-eared owl, snakes and introduced cats.
Food Omnivore (plants such as grass seeds and small invertebrates)
Animal Class Mammal