| Hairy-tailed bolo mouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Sigmodontinae |
| Genus: | Necromys |
| Species: | N. lasiurus |
| Binomial name | |
| Necromys lasiurus (Lund, 1841) | |
The hairy-tailed bolo mouse or hairy-tailed akodont (Necromys lasiurus) is a South American rodent species of the family Cricetidae. [2] It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay.
The hairy-tailed bolo mouse grows to a head-and-body length between 118 and 138 mm (4.6 and 5.4 in), with a tail length of 66 to 96 mm (2.6 to 3.8 in). The ears are small and rounded, and have a sparse covering of hair. The body fur is variable in colour, but usually the back is olive grey to dark brown, the flanks are paler and washed with ochre, and the underparts are white or pale grey. The demarcation line between upper parts and underparts is ill-defined. The tail is bicolor, dark above and pale below, and clad in short, fairly dense fur, and the feet are brown on top with tufts of white hair between the digits, which have strong nails. [3]
The hairy-tailed bolo mouse is native to southern South America. Its range extends from eastern and central Brazil as far west as Rondônia, through eastern Paraguay to northeastern Argentina. The exact boundaries are not well known, with various isolated outlying areas and with populations west of the Paraguay River overlapping the range of the Paraguayan bolo mouse (N. lenguarum). Its typical habitat is grassland, the verges of cultivated fields and areas of secondary woodland. [3]
The hairy-tailed bolo mouse is mainly diurnal, with some activity at dusk and at night, particularly in the dry season. Its diet varies with the time of year, but mainly consists of seeds and green plant material, and sometimes includes small invertebrates. The breeding season is mostly in the spring and summer, and litter sizes average about five young. This mouse is a reservoir for certain hantaviruses, including the Araraquara strain from Brazil, which can cause disease in humans. [3] It is a host of the Acanthocephalan intestinal parasite Moniliformis necromysi . [4]
The rodent subfamily Sigmodontinae includes New World rats and mice, with at least 376 species. Many authorities include the Neotominae and Tylomyinae as part of a larger definition of Sigmodontinae. When those genera are included, the species count numbers at least 508. Their distribution includes much of the New World, but the genera are predominantly South American, such as brucies. They invaded South America from Central America as part of the Great American Interchange near the end of the Miocene, about 5 million years ago. Sigmodontines proceeded to diversify explosively in the formerly isolated continent. They inhabit many of the same ecological niches that the Murinae occupy in the Old World.
Necromys is a genus of South American sigmodontine rodents allied to Akodon. This genus has also been known as Cabreramys or more recently Bolomys, and the northern grass mouse has recently been transferred from Akodon.
Ruschi's rat or Ruschi's spiny mouse is a rodent species found in Argentina and Brazil. Some cranial features suggest it may be an archaic relative of the paramo Oldfield mouse. The upper parts are greyish yellow with a darker head and yellowish-white underparts. Fine hairs are mixed with flattened and grooved spines that are most numerous on the back.
Oligoryzomys flavescens, also known as the flavescent colilargo or yellow pygmy rice rat is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in southern South America, occurring in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina. Its karyotype has 2n = 64-66 and FNa = 66–70.
The hairy-eared cerrado mouse or hairy-eared akodont, is a rodent species from South America. It is found in the cerrado grassland of Brazil.
Kemp's grass mouse is a species of South American rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is the only species in the genus Deltamys. It was formerly considered a member of the genus Akodon, but is now considered sufficiently distinct to warrant its own genus. It is named for Robin Kemp, who collected specimens of mice from the area for the British Museum.
Abrothrix longipilis, also known as the long-haired grass mouse or long-haired akodont, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to central Argentina and Chile. Until 2014 it was thought that the species extended into southern Chile and Argentine Patagonia but these populations are now proposed to belong to closely related species named Abrothrix hirta.
The northern grass mouse, or northern akodont, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago.
The pleasant bolo mouse, or pleasant akodont, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found on grassland at high altitudes in Bolivia and Peru.
The rufous-bellied bolo mouse or white-chinned akodont, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia where it inhabits the dry valleys of the eastern Andes. Its conservation status is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of "least concern".
The dark bolo mouse or dark-furred akodont is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. There are two subspecies; one is found in eastern and central parts of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, and the other in coastal areas of southern Uruguay.
The spotted bolo mouse or Ecuadorian akodont is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is known from Ecuador and may also occur in Colombia. Little is known of its status and range.
The Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat or golden-footed brush-furred rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Ethiopia where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, also known as the long-tailed colilargo or long-tailed pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of the family Cricetidae. It is found in the southern Andes of Chile and Argentina, with an outlying population in eastern Argentina. As a common species with a wide range and a stable population, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated this rodent as being of "least concern".
Coues's climbing mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. It is named in honour of the American zoologist Elliott Coues who studied birds and small mammals.
The mountain degu is a species of rodent in the family Octodontidae. It is the only species in the genus Octodontomys. It is found in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.
The Paraguayan bolo mouse or Paraguayan akodont is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. According to the IUCN, it is present in Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru, and possibly also in Argentina and Brazil. It is found at elevations from 300 to 2,030 m in a variety of habitats, including cerrado, chaco, and heath pampas.
The cerrado climbing mouse or long-tailed rhipidomys is an arboreal rodent species in the family Cricetidae from South America. It is found in primary or secondary forests of the cerrado and caatinga in central and eastern Brazil, and has also been seen in the Atlantic Forest. Its karyotype is 2n = 44, FN = 48-52. They are nocturnal animals and can be found in both tree canopies and on the ground.
The Peruvian climbing mouse or lesser Peruvian rhipidomys, is a South American species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is endemic to the eastern slopes of the Andes in central Peru, where it is found at altitudes from 700 to 1,800 metres. The species is nocturnal and arboreal, and lives in lower montane forest and cloud forest. It is threatened by forest clearance for agriculture and coca cultivation but is listed as a "least-concern species" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
