Oecomys catherinae, Thomas, 1909

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 : 423-424

401.

Atlantic Forest Arboreal Rice Rat

Oecomys catherinae

French: Oecomys de Santa Catarina / German: Atlantische Baumreisratte / Spanish: Rata arrocera arbéricola de bosque atlantico

Other common names: Atlantic Forest Oecomys

Taxonomy. Oecomys catherinae Thomas, 1909 , “Joinville, Santa Catherina [= Catarina], S. Brazil.”

Morphological and molecular variation contained in the current concept of O. catherinae 1s noteworthy; status of bahiensis deserves attention. Monotypic.

Distribution. E & EC Brazil.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 121-139 mm, tail 143-165 mm, ear 11-29 mm (mean 15), hindfoot 28-30 mm; weight 47-71 g. The Atlantic Forest Arboreal Rice Rat is moderately large and slightly larger than the Long-furred Arboreal Rice Rat ( O. trinitatis ). Dorsal pelage is lush, thick (12-14 mm at dorsum), sleek, bright, and brownish orange to tawny chestnut. General impression of underparts is dark grayish white; ventral hairs have dark to slate gray bases, usually tipped with white; and variations include streaks or patches of buffytipped hairs on chest and abdomen and creamy hairs confined to throat. Demarcation between dorsum and ventrum is weakly defined. Flank is slightly lighter than dorsum. Tail is dusky brown all around for most of its length, paler beneath toward base; caudal hairs are short, revealing fine scale rows and not forming discrete tuft. Larger mystacial vibrissae reach ¢.45 mm in length, surpassing ears when extended backward. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 60, FN = 62 and 64.

Habitat. Atlantic coast forests including dense rainforest and open rainforest, and semideciduous forest in savanna forest mosaic (i.e. gallery forest settings in Cerrado biome) from sea level to elevations of ¢.770 m. In Caatinga biome, the Atlantic Forest Arboreal Rice Rat was trapped in humid forest enclaves with emergent trees 10-20 m high and predominance of species of Fabaceae and Poaceae .

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Atlantic Forest fragments in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, the Atlantic Forest Arboreal Rice Rat was more abundant in fragments near peri-urban areas.

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

Bibliography. Asfora et al. (2011), Carleton & Musser (2015), Costa, Bonvicino et al. (2016), Flores (2010), Hershkovitz (1960), da Rocha, PA. et al. (2015), Vieira et al. (2009).

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. E & EC Brazil.