Abrawayaomys ruschii, Cunha & Cruz, 1979

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 : 411-412

360.

Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse

Abrawayaomys ruschii

French: Souris-barbée de Ruschi / German: Brasilien-Ruschi-Ratte / Spanish: Ratén espinoso de Ruschi

Other common names: Ruschi's Rat

Taxonomy. Abrawayaomys ruschiz Cunha & Cruz, 1979 , “Forno Grande [= Parque Estadual do Forno Grande (20.5°S, 41.6°W) |, municipio de Castelo, ES [= Espirito Santo], Brasil.”

Abrawayaomys ruschii is the type species of the genus. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from scattered localities in SE & S Brazil, from Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo to Santa Catarina states.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 89-135 mm, tail 85-142 mm, ear 16—20 mm, hindfoot 28-32 mm; weight 25-63 g. Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse is a medium-sized sigmodontine, characterized by a massive body, large and blunt head, spiny fur, small eyes, and tail same or longer than head-body length. External differences between Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse and Chebez’s Spiny Mouse (A. chebezi ) are subtle; Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse is larger than Chebez’s Spiny Mouse and typically has white terminal tuft on tail; it is brown dorsally and yellowish to whitish ventrally.

Habitat. Atlantic Interior Forest habitats, including primary to disturbed forests. Most captures of Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse are from interiors of forest fragments and along their margins during the rainy season.

Food and Feeding. Little is known, but a captive Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse ate fruits and vegetation.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse is nocturnal. Skeletal anatomy suggests a terrestrial mode of locomotion, a hypothesis supported by reported captures on the ground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Cerboncini et al. (2014), Cherem et al. (2005), Coutinho et al. (2013), Cunha & Cruz (1979), Duarte & Lessa (2015), Finotti et al. (2003), Maestri et al. (2015), Pardinas, Teta & D’Elia (2009, 2015), Passamani et al. (2011), Percequillo et al. (2017), Pereira et al. (2008), Ventura et al. (2013).

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. Known from scattered localities in SE & S Brazil, from Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo to Santa Catarina states.