Proechimys cayennensis Desmarest, 1817 . Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., Nouv. ed., 10:58.

TYPE LOCALITY: French Guiana, Cayenne .

DISTRIBUTION: E Colombia, the Guianas, southward to C Brazil.

SYNONYMS: arabupu, arescens, cherriei, columbianus, guyannensis, hyleae, leioprymna, nesiotes, ochraceus, rattinus, riparum, villicauda.

COMMENTS: Subgenus Proechimys . Hershkovitz (1948a) resurected guyannensis E. Geoffroy, 1803 (Cat. Mamm. Mus. Nat. Hist. Nat., p. 194) for this species as this name antedates cayennensis . However, see Appendix I for reasons why this publication, and hence guyannensis E. Geoffroy, 1803 is not available. Formerly included warreni (see Husson, 1978:436), guaime, oris, poliopus, trinitatis, and urichi (see Reig et al., 1980). Includes cherriei; see Petter (1978), and Reig et al. (1980). Sometimes includes bolivianus, chrysaeolus, decumanus, magdalenae, mincae, and oconnelli (see Cabrera, 1961), but Corbet and Hill (1991:205) provisionally recognized each as a distinct species. The chromosome no. is 2n=40; FN=54.