Thomasomys aureus (Tomes, 1860)

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 : 497

646.

Golden Oldfield Mouse

Thomasomys aureus

French: Thomasomys doré / German: Gold-Paramomaus / Spanish: Raton de erial dorado

Other common names: Golden Thomasomys

Taxonomy. Hesperomys aureus Tomes, 1860 , type locality not given. According to R. S. Voss in 1993, the type locality is uncertain.

Thomasomys aureus might represent a species complex. Monotypic.

Distribution. Andes, from W Venezuela, C & SW Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to WC Bolivia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 142-180 mm, tail 172-250 mm, ear 20-29 mm, hindfoot 33-40 mm; weight 75-175 g. Dorsum of the Golden Oldfield Mouse is yellowish brown to reddish brown. Venteris yellowish pale gray to whitish, with stripe or yellow spot on chest, throat, and cheeks. Pelage is soft, fine, dense, and long, usually more than 10 mm in midline of back and toward tail. Uniform or bicolored tail is thick and long, reaching ¢.130% of head-body length. Hairs on back and belly are bicolored, always with bases of gray to dark gray. Eyes are small, and ears are medium-sized, well-rounded, and dark brown, barely covered by small, blackish hair that do not contrast with color of head. Vibrissae are thin, black, and long, reaching a little further behind ears when tilted. Hindfeet are moderately long and broad, with silvery, brown, or blackish hair on upper faces and black soles. Fifth digit is semi-usable.

Habitat. Primary forests, secondary forests, human modified areas, and near human habitation at elevations of 1460-3850 m. Golden Oldfield Mice prefer forests with abundant bushy vegetation, high humidity, and rich in humus. In the moors, they occupy areas covered with grass or near rock walls and water bodies. In north-western Ecuador, they are abundant in and strong select for Polylepis (Rosaceae) forest.

Food and Feeding. The Golden Oldfield Mouse eats fruit, seeds, other plant material, and insects, with a preference for Passiflora (Passifloraceae) fruit. In north-western Ecuador, some individuals ate tender shoots of Aetheolaena patens and Dendrophorbium tipocochense ( Asteraceae ) in middle and upper vegetation strata of the forest.

Breeding. In Peru, male Golden Oldfield Mice with descended testes and females with 2-3 embryos were recorded in September. In north-western Ecuador, reproduction occurs year-round, although it is more frequently in dry season.

Activity patterns. The Golden Oldfield Mouse is nocturnal and arboreal, moving through the forest canopy; it occasionally falls to the ground when the canopy is discontinuous.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Golden Oldfield Mouse is infrequently caught, suggesting it is rare or difficult to record.

Bibliography. Anderson (1997), Barnett (1999), Brito, Teska & Ojala-Barbour (2012, 2015), Eisenberg et al. (1979), Gardner & Romo (1993), Handley (1976), Jarrin (2001), Leo & Romo (1992), Linares (1998), Musser & Carleton (1993, 2005), Pacheco (2003, 2015b, 2016a), Sahley et al. (2015), Salas et al. (2013), Salazar-Bravo & Yates (2007), Thomas (1900c), Tirira (2007), Tomes (1860), Voss (1993, 2003).

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, from W Venezuela, C & SW Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru to WC Bolivia.