Thomasomys australis (Anthony, 1925)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Cricetidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 204-535 : 502

664.

Austral Oldfield Mouse

Thomasomys australis

French: Thomasomys austral / German: Siidliche Paramomaus / Spanish: Ratén de erial austral

Other common names: Austral Thomasomys

Taxonomy. 7 Thomasomys daphne australis Anthony, 1925 , Incachaca, 7700 feet (= 2347 m), Cochabamba, Bolivia.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Andes in C Bolivia (Cochabamba and Santa Cruz departments).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 89-91 mm, tail 138 mm, ear 19 mm, hindfoot 24— 25 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Pelage of the Austral Oldfield Mouse is quite long, soft, and lax.

Dorsum is cinnamon-brown to auburn, and flanks are almost as dark; ears are small and covered with short brown hair; and hands, feet, wrists, and ankles are washed with clove brown. Venter is cinnamon-buff. Mystacial vibrissae are moderately long, extending slightly beyond posterior margin of pinnae when bent. Tail is very long (144-155% of head-body length), covered by fine scales, and unicolored. Hindfoot is short, slender, and dark brown.

Habitat. Bolivian Yungas ecoregion, in upper montane elfin forest at elevations of 2350-2800 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Four pregnant Austral Oldfield Mice captured in October had 1-3 embryos. A lactating female was captured in June.

Activity patterns. Austral Oldfield Mice have been collected on the ground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List as a distinct species. [UCN treated this species under Daphne’s Oldfield Mouse (7. daphne ), which is classified as Least Concern.

Bibliography. Anderson (1997), Anthony (1925), Pacheco (2003, 2015b).

Figures

622. Unicolored Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys monochromos), 623. Venezuelan Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys emeritus), 624. Dressy Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys vestitus), 625. Woodland Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys hylophilus), 626. Niceforo Maria’s Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys nicefor), 627. Popayan Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys popayanus), 628. Shortfaced Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys baeops), 629. Snow-footed Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys niveipes), 630. Principal Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys princeps), 631. Silky Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys bombycinus), 632. Red Andean Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys auricularis), 633. Cinnamon-colored Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys cinnameus), 634. Central Andes Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys contradictus), 635. Ashy-bellied Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys cinererventer), 636. Colombian Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys dispar), 637. Soft-furred Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys laniger), 638. Ash-colored Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys cinereus), 639. Wandering Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys erro), 640. Paramo Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys paramorum), 641. Forest Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys silvestris), 642. Smoky Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys fumeus), 643. Pichincha Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys vulcani), 644. Ucucha Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys ucucha), 645. Taczanowski’s Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys taczanowsku), 646. Golden Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys aureus), 647. White-tipped Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys caudivarius), 648. Hudson's Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys hudsoni), 649. Reddish-backed Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys pyrrhonotus), 650. Montane Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys oreas), 651. Cajamarca Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys praetor), 652. Distinguished Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys notatus), 653. Apeco Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys apeco), 654. Peruvian Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys eleusis), 655. Strong-tailed Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys ischyrus), 656. Reddish-nosed Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys rosalinda), 657. Large-eared Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys macrotis), 658. Ashaninka Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys onkiro), 659. Inca Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys incanus), 660. Kalinowski’s Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys kalinowskii), 661. Slender Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys gracilis), 662. Daphne’s Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys daphne), 663. Anderson’s Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys andersoni), 664. Austral Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys australis), 665. Ladew’s Oldfield Mouse (Thomasomys ladewi)

Distribution. Andes in C Bolivia (Cochabamba and Santa Cruz departments).