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Chelemys megalonyx (Waterhouse, 1845)

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 : 508

publication ID

 https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6707142

DOI

 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6708603

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F06D13-FF4B-2082-0D5C-13BE0022FE4C

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

 Chelemys megalonyx
status

 

680. View Plate 29: Cricetidae

Chilean Long-clawed Mouse

Chelemys megalonyx View in CoL

French: Chélémys / German: Chile-Langkrallenmaus / Spanish: Raton de unas largas de Chile

Other common names: Large Long-clawed Akodont, Large Long-clawed Mouse

Taxonomy. Hesperomys megalonyx Waterhouse, 1845 , Lake Quintero, Valparaiso, Chile.

Chelemys megalonyx 1s the type species of the genus. Alpha-taxonomy is poorly addressed, mostly because few specimens are available for study. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

C.m.megalonyxWaterhouse,1845—CWChile(Coquimbo,Valparaiso,andMetropolitanaregions).

C. m. macrotis Philippi, 1900 — CW Chile (Bio Bio and Araucania regions); it presumably also occurs in Maule Region. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 109-118 mm, tail 55-60 mm, ear 17-18 mm, hindfoot 27-28 mm; weight 53-5-60 g. The Chilean Long-clawed Mouse is medium-sized and mole-like, with elongated front claws (more than 6 mm), thick pelage, and short tail; fur is long, soft, nearly uniform grayish brown above, and grayish white below; chest has brown mark; and tail is uniformly brown.

Habitat. Probably originally associated with arid Mediterranean thornscrub, an environment almost eliminated by human modification; reported in dense mesophitic forest and shrubby coastal areas; one individual was captured between shrub and cactus at the foot of a long steep slope. Recent records of the Chilean Long-clawed Mouse were obtained in dense thickets of the thorny bush Trevoa trinervis ( Rhamnaceae ) on eastern slope of Chilean coastal range in central valley of Chile.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Chilean Long-clawed Mouse is semi-fossorial and digs tunnels, preferably in humid soils, with burrow openings usually protected by rocks, shrubs, or fallen logs.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Chilean Long-clawed Mouse occurs in a limited part ofits restricted distribution, is confined to suitable undisturbed matorral (shrubland) habitat and in fragmented and not well-conserved areas, and is increasingly affected by agricultural activities.

Bibliography. Bazan-Leon et al. (2016), Canoén et al. (2014), Chebez et al. (2014), D'Elia & Patterson (2008a), Mann (1978), Osgood (1925, 1943a), Quintana (2009), Rodriguez-Serrano, Palma & Hernandez (2008), Teta (2013), Teta, Canon et al. (2017), Teta, Pardinas & D'Elia (2015a).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Cricetidae

Genus

Chelemys

Loc

Chelemys megalonyx

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr 2017
2017
Loc

Hesperomys megalonyx

Waterhouse 1845
1845

Specimens

GBIF Dataset (for parent article) Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF