Mindomys hammondi (Thomas, 1913)

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 : 418

385.

Hammond's Rice Rat

Mindomys hammondi

French: Mindomys / German: Hammond-Reisratte / Spanish: Rata arrocera de Hammond

Other common names: Hammond's Mindomys, Hammond's Oryzomys

Taxonomy. Nectomys hammond: Thomas, 1913 , “Mindo, N.W. of Quito, Ecuador. Alt. 4213 ft [= 1284 m].”

Mindomys hammond : is the type species of the genus. Monotypic.

Distribution. W Andean slope in NW Ecuador; a record from the Amazonian region ( Napo Province) needs confirmation.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 173-293 mm, tail 222-251 mm, ear 18-19 mm, hindfoot 38-42 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Hammond’s Rice Rat is large oryzomyine rodent, one of the largest of the subfamily. Dorsum is grayish to yellowish brown; venter is yellowish/ brownish/grayish. Ears are small, with short hairs covering inner and outer brown surfaces. Forelegs are sturdy and covered by short brown hairs on dorsal surfaces; hindlegs are densely covered with grayish or whitish hair on dorsal surfaces. Ungual hairs are short and scattered and extend to tips of claws on second to fifth digits. Tail has long hairs that can cover scales; hairs are longer toward tip oftail. Tail is blackish or dark brown uniform and larger than head-body length. Females have four pairs of mammae: one pectoral, one posaxial, one abdominal, and one inguinal.

Habitat. Montane rainforest (cloud forest), except in river valleys where forest is similar to late successional lowland rainforest, at elevations of 1260-1330 m. Canopies in habitats of Hammond’s Rice Rat are 15-20 m high, and trees are covered with epiphytes (orchids, bromeliads, Araceae , and lianas) and thin moss layer; and most common emergent are palms and giant bamboo. Understories are dense and formed by woody dicotyledonous (mainly Piperaceae and Melastomataceae ), Musaceae , Zingiberaceae , Cyclanthaceae , small Arecaceae , and a giant Equisetum (Equisetaceae) .

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Hammond's Rice Rat is nocturnal. Its long tail and broad-feet suggest arboreallifestyle.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Hammond's Rice Rat’s extent of occurrence is small, all known individuals are in fewer than five locations, and there is continuing decline in extent and quality ofits habitat.

Bibliography. Hershkovitz (1948, 1970), Percequillo (2015f), Thomas (1913b), Tirira (2007), Tirira, Boada & Weksler (2008a), Weksler et al. (2006).

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. W Andean slope in NW Ecuador; a record from the Amazonian region ( Napo Province) needs confirmation.