Handleyomys fuscatus (J. A. Allen, 1912)

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 : 427

418.

Colombian Western Andes Cloud Forest Mouse

Handleyomys fuscatus

French: Oryzomys de Handley / German: Dunkelful 3-Reisratte / Spanish: Raton de bosque nuboso de Colombia occidental

Other common names: Dusky-footed Handley’'s Mouse, Dusky Montane Mouse

Taxonomy. Aepeomys fuscatus J. A. Allen, 1912 , San Antonio, near Cali, 7000 ft (= 2134 m), Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

Handleyomys fuscatus is the type species of the genus. Monotypic.

Distribution. W Andes Range of Colombia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 80-130 mm, tail 75-110 mm, ear 10-17 mm (mean 14 mm), hindfoot 22-26 mm; weight 19-34 g (mean 26 g). Species of Handleyomys include small oryzomyines, with tails about as long as head-body lengths. Pelage of the Colombian Western Andes Cloud Forest Mouse is fine and soft, uniformly dull brownish gray dorsally, but usually darker (sometimes almost blackish) mid-dorsally than on flanks; ventral pelage is dark gray, frosted with paler gray or buff and is not sharply countershaded. Tail appears naked to the eye and unicolored (dark above and below). Mystacial vibrissae are neither very short nor very long, extending posteriorly to (but not beyond) caudal margins of pinnae when laid back against cheeks. Pinnae are not large, but they are clearly visible above fur of head and are sparsely covered with short dark hairs. Manus is sparsely covered dorsally with short pale hair. Pes is long and narrow, with outer digits much shorter than middle three; conspicuous ungual tufts of long silvery hairs are rooted at bases of claws on second to fifth digits, but pedal dorsum otherwise is only sparsely covered with short pale (whitish or silvery) or dark-banded hair. Females have three pairs of mammae (inguinal, abdominal, and postaxial). The Colombian Western Andes Cloud Forest Mouse is distinguished by hindfeet covered dorsally with dark-banded (never pure white) hair; subtle cranial features contribute to its differentiation from the Colombian Central Andes Cloud Forest Mouse ( H. intectus ). Chromosomal complement is 2n = 54, FN = 62.

Habitat. Primary cloud forests and adjacent secondary growth, usually in cool and very humid environments,at elevations of 1800-2530 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Four of six known pregnant Colombian Western Andes Cloud Forest Mice (each with 2-3 embryos) were caught in the rainy season (April or June), another was caught in late dry/early rainy season (September), and the fourth was caught in the dry season (February). One pregnant female was lactating in June; the only other lactating female was recorded in the rainy season (September). Juveniles have been caught during rainy seasons and late dry/early rainy seasons.

Activity patterns. The Colombian Western Andes Cloud Forest Mouse is apparently nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Cassola (2016v), Gémez-Laverde et al. (2015), Gardner & Patton (1976), Voss et al. (2002).

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 Andes Range of Colombia.