Oecomys trinitatis (J. A. Allen & Chapman, 1893)

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 : 420-421

389.

Long-furred Arboreal Rice Rat

Oecomys trinitatis

French: Oecomys de Trinidad / German: Langhaar-Baumreisratte / Spanish: Rata arrocera arboricola de pelaje largo

Other common names: Big Arboreal Rice Rat, Long-furred Oecomys, Trinidad Arboreal Rice Rat

Taxonomy. Oryzomys trinitatis J. A. Allen & F. M. Chapman, 1893 , Princes Town, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago.

Synonymy of O. trinitatis contains several nominal forms, such as subluteus, palmarwus, fulviventer , frontalis, helvolus, and vicencianus, some of which were described from distant localities (e.g. frontalis from Canal Zone, Panama). Originally, trinitatis was described from an island. Clearly, alpha-taxonomy in trinitatis needs additional research, and many names are available if trinomial classification is needed. Monotypic.

Distribution. SW Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, NE Ecuador, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, The Guianas, Brazil, E Peru, and NE Bolivia; exact limits unresolved.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 117-137 mm,tail 135-165 mm, ear 19-24 mm, hindfoot 25-29 mm; weight 48-74 g. The Long-furred Arboreal Rice Rat is medium large, similar to Robert’s Arboreal Rice Rat ( O. roberti ) and the Unicolored Arboreal Rice Rat ( O. concolor ). Dorsal fur of the Long-furred Arboreal Rice Rat is soft and dense, palpably luxuriant and lustrous, and deep (10-13 mm long over mid-rump). Head and back are dark tawny brown, commonly grading to brighter ocherous brown over cheeks and shoulders and along flanks; some individuals have bright buffy orange dorsum; and dorsal surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are dark brownish. Venter ranges from dark grayish white and grayish white tinged with buff to rich ocherous gray. Demarcation between dorsal and ventral fur is not well-defined, occasionally marked by ocherous lateral line or ocherous tones washed along borders with grayish ventral fur. Tail ¢.118% of head-body length, dark brown and unicolored, or slightly paler below; caudal hairs are short—scalation thus visible to eye—and form slight pencil at tip. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 58, FN = 96 for populations in western Amazonia.

Habitat. Dense and mature lowland Costa Rican forest, evergreen forests with lush undergrowth, and various habitats such as tall grass and herbaceous growth in savannas and forest openings, lowland dry forest, Amazonian terra firma, and edges of flooded forests from sea level up to elevations of 2150 m.

Food and Feeding. Long-furred Arboreal Rice Rats reportedly eat fruits and small seeds.

Breeding. Nests of Long-furred Arboreal Rice Rats are located near the ground;litters have 2-4 young.

Activity patterns. L.ong-furred Arboreal Rice Rats are nocturnal and arboreal or semiarboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Bonvicino (2016b), Carleton & Musser (2015), Handley (1966), Hershkovitz (1960), Linares (1998), McPherson (1985), Patton et al. (2000), Ruelas et al. (2016).

Figures

353. Bogota Grass Mouse (Neomicroxus bogotensts), 354. Ecuadorean Grass Mouse (Neomucroxus latebricola), 355. Altiplano Chinchilla Mouse (Chinchillula sahamae), 356. Small Red-nosed Tree Mouse (Juliomys pictipes), 357. Delicate Red-nosed Tree Mouse (Juliomys ossitenuis), 358. Montane Red-rumped Tree Mouse (Juliomys rimofrons), 359. Araucaria Forest Tree Mouse (Juliomys ximenezi), 360. Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse (Abrawayaomys ruschii), 361. Chebez’s Spiny Mouse (Abrawayaomys chebezi), 362. Montane Atlantic Forest Rat (Delomys altimontanus), 363. Pallid Atlantic Forest Rat (Delomys sublineatus), 364. Striped Atlantic Forest Rat (Delomys dorsalis), 365. North-western Conyrat (Reithrodon caurinus), 366. Naked-soled Conyrat (Reithrodon typicus), 367. Hairy-soled Conyrat (Reithrodon awritus), 368. Short-tailed Cane Mouse (Zygodontomys brevicauda), 369. Colombian Cane Mouse (Zygodontomys brunneus), 370. Ucayali South American Spiny Mouse (Scolomys ucayalensts), 371. Gray South American Spiny Mouse (Scolomys melanops), 372. Boquete Rice Rat (Nephelomys devius), 373. Santa Marta Rice Rat (Nephelomys maculiventer), 374. Mount Pirre Rice Rat (Nephelomys pirrensis), 375. Western Colombian Rice Rat (Nephelomys pectoralis), 376. Coastal Cordilleran Rice Rat (Nephelomys caracolus), 377. Merida Rice Rat (Nephelomys meridensis), 378. Child’s Rice Rat (Nephelomys childi), 379. White-throated Rice Rat (Nephelomys albigularis), 380. Greater Golden-bellied Rice Rat (Nephelomys aurirventer), 381. Gray-bellied Rice Rat (Nephelomys moerex), 382. Lesser Golden-bellied Rice Rat (Nephelomys nimbosus), 383. Keays’s Rice Rat (Nephelomys keaysi), 384. Nimble-footed Rice Rat (Nephelomys levipes), 385. Hammond's Rice Rat (Mindomys hammondi), 386. White-bellied Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys bicolor), 387. Yellow Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys flavicans), 388. Savanna Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys speciosus), 389. Long-furred Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys trinitatis), 390. Robert's Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys robert), 391. Unicolored Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys concolor), 392. Guianan Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys awyantepui), 393. King Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys rex), 394. Red Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys rutilus), 395. Brazilian Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys paricola), 396. Foothill Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys superans), 397. Dusky Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys phaeotis), 398. Mamore Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys mamorae), 399. Anderson’s Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys sydandersoni), 400. Franciscos’ Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys franciscorum), 401. Atlantic Forest Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys catherinae), 402. Cleber’s Arboreal Rice Rat (Oecomys cleber), 403. McConnell’s Rice Rat (Euryoryzomys macconnelli), 404. Emmons’s Rice Rat (Euryoryzomys emmonsae), 405. Big-headed Rice Rat (Euryoryzomys legatus), 406. Russet Rice Rat (Euryoryzomys russatus), 407. Bufty-sided Rice Rat (Euryoryzomys lamia), 408. Elegant Rice Rat (Euryoryzomys nitidus), 409. Long-whiskered Rice Rat (Transandinomys bolivaris), 410. Talamancan Rice Rat (Transandinomys talamancae), 411. Long-nosed Rice Rat “ Handleyomys (™ rostratus), 412. Chapman’s Rice Rat “ Handleyomys (” chapman), 413. Black-eared Rice Rat “ Handleyomys (™ melanotis), 414. Guerrero Rice Rat “ Handleyomys (™ guerrerensis), 415. Cloud Forest Rice Rat “ Handleyomys (” saturatior), 416. Highland Rice Rat “ Handleyomys (” rhabdops), 417. Alfaro’s Rice Rat “ Handleyomys (” alfaroi), 418. Colombian Western Andes Cloud Forest Mouse (Handleyomys fuscatus), 419. Colombian Central Andes Cloud Forest Mouse (Handleyomys intectus)

Distribution. SW Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, NE Ecuador, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, The Guianas, Brazil, E Peru, and NE Bolivia; exact limits unresolved.