Thomasomys aureus (Tomes, 1860) . Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1860:219.

TYPE LOCALITY: Ecuador, Chimborazo Prov., Pallatanga, 4950 ft .

DISTRIBUTION: Andean forests of NC Venezuela, C and W Colombia, Ecuador, and N Peru.

SYNONYMS: altorum, nicefori, popayanus, praetor, princeps .

COMMENTS: Highly differentiated morphologically from other species of Thomasomys (see Carleton, 1973; Hooper and Musser, 1964a; Voss and Linzey, 1981). Karyotype reported by Gardner and Patton (1976).