53.

Famatina Tuco-tuco

Ctenomys famosus

French: Tuco-tuco de la Famatina / German: Famatina-Kammratte / Spanish: Tuco tuco de Famatina

Taxonomy. Ctenomys famosus Thomas, 1920,

“Protrerillo, at about 2600 m,” Sierra de Famatina, Departamento de Famatina, La Rioja, 25°50’ S, 67°27’ W, Argentina.

Ctenomys famosus is not classified in any species group. Karyotype and sperm form are unknown. C. famosus was considered a subspecies of C. coludo and also was suggested as a subspecies of C. fulvus . Monotypic.

Distribution. NW Argentina (La Rioja Province), occurs at the type locality and probably nearby areas, in Sierra de Famatina, reaching elevations up to 3800 m.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 160 mm, tail 74 mm, hindfoot 31-5 mm (all measurements from the female holotype). No specific data are available for body weight. Famatina Tuco-tuco is relatively small. Color is uniformly pale, similar to the Puntilla Tuco-tuco ( C. coludo), but tail considerably shorter. Skull is also similar to that of the Puntilla Tuco-tuco but generally smaller; bullae are smaller with less widely expanded zygomatic arches; and supraorbital region has small ledges.

Habitat. There is no information available for this species.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Bidau (2015), Cabrera (1961), Thomas (1921b).