Calomys lepidus Thomas 1884

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 : 1108

Calomys lepidus Thomas 1884

Calomys lepidus Thomas 1884 , Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1884: 454.

Type Locality: Perú, Junín Dept., Junín.

Vernacular Names: Graceful Laucha.

Synonyms: Calomys argurus ( Thomas 1919) ; Calomys carilla (Thomas 1902) ; Calomys ducilla (Thomas 1901) ; Calomys marcarum (Thomas 1917) ; Calomys montanus (Sanborn 1950) .

Distribution: Altiplano of C Perú, through W Bolivia (2950-4820 m), to NE Chile and NW Argentina (Jujuy, Salta, and Tucúman; Díaz, 1999; Ortiz et al., 2000 a).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Revised by Hershkovitz (1962). Populations in Jujuy, NW Argentina, exhibit a different chromosomal complement (2n = 44, FN = 68), as reported by Espinosa et al. (1997), from those described from Peru (2n = 36, FN = 68) by Pearson and Patton (1976); Espinosa et al. (1997) offered a Robertsonian explanation to account for such the karyotypic differences between chromosomal races of a single species, but also acknowledged that two species may be involved. Anderson (1997) regarded carillus and ducillus as valid subspecies in the Bolivian Andes.