Ctenomys opimus Wagner 1848

Ctenomys opimus Wagner 1848, Arch. Naturgesch., 1: 75.

Type Locality: Bolivia, Oruro Dept., Monte Sajama.

Vernacular Names: Highland Tuco-tuco.

Subspecies::

Subspecies Ctenomys opimus subsp. opimus Wagner 1848

Subspecies Ctenomys opimus subsp. luteolus Thomas 1900

Subspecies Ctenomys opimus subsp. nigriceps Thomas 1900

Distribution: NW Argentina, SW Bolivia, S Peru, N Chile between 2,000 and 5,000 m on the high Andean steppe (=Puna).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc). Common.

Discussion: May be conspecific with fulvus; opimus and fulvus cannot be separated on the basis of karyotypes (see Gallardo, 1979 and Cook et al., 1990). Karyotype has 2n=26 and FN=48 (Gallardo, 1991).