Zygodontomys brevicauda (J. A. Allen and Chapman 1893)

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Cricetidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 955-1189 : 1185

Zygodontomys brevicauda (J. A. Allen and Chapman 1893)

[Zygodontomys] brevicauda (J. A. Allen and Chapman 1893) , Bull. Am. Mus . Nat. Hist., 5: 215.

Type Locality: Trinidad, Princes Town.

Vernacular Names: Short-tailed Zygodont.

Synonyms: Zygodontomys cherriei (J. A. Allen 1895) ; Zygodontomys fraterculus J. A. Allen 1913 ; Zygodontomys frustrator (J. A. Allen and Chapman 1897) ; Zygodontomys griseus J. A. Allen 1913 ; Zygodontomys microtinus ( Thomas 1894) ; Zygodontomys reigi Tranier 1976 ; Zygodontomys sanctaemartae (J. A. Allen 1899) ; Zygodontomys seorsus Bangs 1901 ; Zygodontomys soldadoensis Goodwin 1965 ; Zygodontomys stellae Thomas 1899 ; Zygodontomys thomasi J. A. Allen 1901 ; Zygodontomys tobagi Thomas 1900 ; Zygodontomys ventriosus Goldman 1912 .

Distribution: Savannas from SE Costa Rica through Panamá, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas, to Brazil north of the Amazon River; including Trinidad and Tobago and smaller continental-shelf islands adjacent Panamá and Venezuela.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Geographic variation evaluated by Voss (1991 a), who recognized cherriei and microtinus , along with the nominate form, as subspecies. Formerly included punctulatus , which Voss (1991 b) reidentified as a member of Bolomys (= Necromys ). Karyotypic variation of Brazilian populations reported by Mattevi et al. (2002), who questioned whether brevicauda as currently arranged is a composite; Bonvicino et al. (2003 d) reached the same conclusion based on evaluation of cranial traits and karyotypes.