Oligoryzomys longicaudatus

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Oligoryzomys longicaudatus
Raton colilarga.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Sigmodontinae
Genus: Oligoryzomys
Species:
O. longicaudatus
Binomial name
Oligoryzomys longicaudatus
(Bennett, 1832)
Oligoryzomys longicaudatus distribution.png

Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, also known as the long-tailed colilargo [2] or long-tailed pygmy rice rat, [1] 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". [1]

Contents

Description

O. longicaudatus grows to a total length of 222 mm (8.7 in), including a tail of 127 mm (5.0 in), and weighs about 24 g (0.8 oz). The ears are quite small and are scantily clad with hairs. The tail is also scantily haired and is dark above and pale on the underside. The fur on the back is buff with fine pale brown and black lines, the greyish base of the hairs sometimes being visible. The underparts are greyish-white. The tail is shorter at the southern end of the range, and in Argentina, the fur is tinted with ochre, especially on the flanks. [3] Its karyotype has 2n = 58 and FNa = 74. [4] A transcriptome assembly is available that has 66,173 annotated transcripts [5] that can be directly searched with BLAST.

Distribution and habitat

This is a mountain species native to southern South America; its range extends from northern Chile and northwestern Argentina to about 50°S in Patagonia. [1] It is found in forests among undergrowth and in bushy places. In northern Chile it is the most abundant small rodent in the cloud forest. In Patagonia it prefers clearings, road verges and scrubby areas. It is more common in moist habitats, such as near water bodies. [3]

Ecology

O. longicaudatus climbs well and can also jump. The diet varies with the time of year; in the dry season it is mainly seeds but in the wet season the flowers, pollen and leaves of Chenopodium predominate. Insects are also sometimes eaten. O. longicaudatus can start breeding when only a few months old. The nest is built in bushes a few metres off the ground, and an old bird nest may be used. The female can breed three times a year and the average litter size is nearly five young. [3]

Population size is subject to large swings. In 1990, there was a mass seeding event when over a million hectares of the bamboo Chusquea valdiviensis in southern Chile flowered simultaneously; the enormous quantities of seeds produced were followed by a population explosion of O. longicaudatus. [6] Such increases in rodent numbers are the result of greater fecundity, a higher survival of juveniles and a lengthening of the breeding season. Since many of the bamboo seeds were retained within the flowering spikelets till the following year, further rodent population peaks occurred then. [6]

In the spring of 1997, large numbers of mice were found in forests near Nahuel Huapi Lake in southwestern Argentina. They were predominantly O. longicaudatus, with a smaller proportion of Abrothrix longipilis . Dead individuals that washed up on the beaches were young, born in the previous autumn, and had full stomachs. Their appearance at such a high density was the result of an aperiodic outbreak in the Andes, and living specimens that were caught in traps showed no signs of being in breeding condition. It was not until the following year that numbers of individuals returned to their normal level for the area and breeding started taking place again. [7]

O. longicaudatus is the principal reservoir host of Andes virus (ANDV), which causes most cases of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in South America. [8] This pulmonary disease can be fatal to humans. [9]

Related Research Articles

Sigmodontinae subfamily of rodents

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.

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.

Oligoryzomys microtis, also known as the small-eared colilargo or small-eared pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in western Brazil, eastern Peru, Bolivia, and northern Paraguay.

<i>Oligoryzomys nigripes</i> Species of rodent

Oligoryzomys nigripes, also known as the black-footed colilargo or the black-footed pygmy rice rat, is a rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. Oligoryzomys nigripes is a species that has been further divided into different sister taxa throughout history. It is found in different countries in South America. It is a large species with long ears, dark yellow to dark brown upperparts, sharply delimited from the whitish underparts, and often a pink girdle on the chest. This species of rat spends much of its life among the trees. The karyotype is 2n = 62, FNa = 78–82.

Oligoryzomys stramineus, also known as the straw-colored colilargo or straw-colored pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of the family Cricetidae. It occurs only in the cerrado and caatinga ecoregions of northeastern Brazil. Its karyotype has 2n = 52 and FNa = 68-70.

<i>Andes orthohantavirus</i> Species of virus

Andes orthohantavirus (ANDV), a species of Orthohantavirus, is a major causative agent of hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in South America. It is named for the Andes mountains of Chile and Argentina, where it was first discovered. Originating in the reservoir of rodents, Andes orthohantavirus is easily transmitted to humans who come into contact with infected rodents or their fecal droppings. However, infected rodents do not appear ill, so there is no readily apparent indicator to determine whether the rodent is infected or not. Additionally, Andes orthohantavirus, specifically, is the only hantavirus that can be spread by human to human contact via bodily fluids or long-term contact from one infected individual to a healthy person.

<i>Oligoryzomys</i> Genus of rodents

Oligoryzomys is a genus of rodents in the tribe Oryzomyini of family Cricetidae. Many species are known as pygmy rice rats or colilargos. The genus is found from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego and includes approximately 17 species.

<i>Abrothrix longipilis</i> Species of rodent

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 found in central and southern Argentina and Chile. The southern Chilean Abrothrix sanborni may not be distinct from this species.

Abrothrix olivacea, also known as the olive grass mouse or olive akodont, is a species of rodent in the genus Abrothrix of family Cricetidae. It is found from northern Chile into southern Chile and Argentina, including the islands of Tierra del Fuego. It is prone to large swings in population size.

Irenomys tarsalis, also known as the Chilean climbing mouse, Chilean tree mouse, or long-footed irenomys, is a rodent found in Chile, from about 36° to 46°S, and in adjacent Argentina, mainly in forests. It is a large, long-tailed, soft-furred mouse characterized by grooved upper incisors and specialized molars with transverse ridges, divided by deep valleys, which are connected by a transverse ridge along the midline of the molars.

Oligoryzomys andinus, also known as the Andean colilargo or Andean pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in the Andes of southern Peru and western Bolivia, but may in fact include more than one species. Its karyotype has 2n = 60 and FNa = 70.

Oligoryzomys arenalis, also known as the sandy colilargo or sandy pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in the Andes of Peru at 400 to 2850 m altitude, but may include more than one species.

Oligoryzomys destructor, also known as Tschudi's colilargo or the destructive pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found along the eastern Andes from southern Colombia, through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia into northern Argentina. Its karyotype has 2n = 60 and FNa = 76.

Oligoryzomys griseolus, also known as the grizzled colilargo or the grayish pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of family Cricetidae. It is found in the Andes of Venezuela and nearby Colombia. Its karyotype has 2n = 62 and FNa = 74–76.

Oligoryzomys magellanicus, also known as the Patagonian colilargo and the Magellanic pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of the family Cricetidae. It is found in the southernmost parts of Argentina and Chile, including Tierra del Fuego and other outlying islands. Its karyotype has 2n = 54 and FNa = 66.

Oligoryzomys victus, also known as the St. Vincent colilargo or St. Vincent pygmy rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Oligoryzomys of the oryzomyine tribe. Only one specimen is known, which was collected on Saint Vincent in the Lesser Antilles in about 1892, and it is now presumed extinct.

Nephelomys albigularis, also known as the white-throated oryzomys or Tomes's rice rat, is a species of rodent in the genus Nephelomys of family Cricetidae. Described in 1860, it was the first Nephelomys species to be discovered. It was originally described in the defunct genus Hesperomys as Hesperomys albigularis and considered related to the much smaller H. longicaudatus. By 1894, it was placed in Oryzomys, as Oryzomys albigularis, and associated with what is now Nephelomys meridensis. In the early 1960s, the scope of the species was considerably expanded to include most of the species that are now in Nephelomys, as well as a single name, boliviae, that is currently a synonym of Euryoryzomys nitidus. From 1976 on, several of these were reinstated as separate species.

Kozlov's pygmy jerboa is a species of rodent in the family Dipodidae. It is found in northwestern China and southern and eastern Mongolia. Its natural habitat is temperate desert.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome Viral pulmonary disease of humans

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is one of two potentially fatal syndromes of zoonotic origin caused by species of hantavirus. These include Black Creek Canal virus (BCCV), New York orthohantavirus (NYV), Monongahela virus (MGLV), Sin Nombre orthohantavirus (SNV), and certain other members of hantavirus genera that are native to the United States and Canada.

Rio Mamore virus(RIOMV) is a novel, single-stranded, enveloped, negative-sense RNA New World orthohantavirus. It is considered a variant of the Laguna Negra hantavirus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pardinas, U.; D'Elia, G.; Teta, P.; Patterson, B. (2008). "Oligoryzomys longicaudatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2008: e.T15250A4505440. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T15250A4505440.en .
  2. Musser and Carleton, 2005
  3. 1 2 3 Eisenberg, John F.; Redford, Kent H. (2000). Mammals of the Neotropics, Volume 3: Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil. University of Chicago Press. pp. 390–391. ISBN   978-0-226-19542-1.
  4. Weksler, M.; Bonvicino, C.R. (2005). "Taxonomy of pygmy rice rats genus Oligoryzomys Bangs, 1900 (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) of the Brazilian Cerrado, with the description of two new species" (PDF). Arquivos do Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro. 63 (1): 113–130. ISSN   0365-4508. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-26.
  5. Campbell, Corey (2015). "Transcriptome markers of viral persistence in naturally-infected andes virus (Bunyaviridae) seropositive long-tailed pygmy rice rats". PLOS ONE. 10 (4): e0122935. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0122935. PMC   4391749 . PMID   25856432.
  6. 1 2 Gallardo, Milton H.; Mercado, Claudia L. (1999). "Mast seeding of bamboo shrubs and mouse outbreaks in southern Chile" (PDF). Mastozoología Neotropical. 6 (2): 103–111.
  7. Pearson, Oliver P. (2002). "A Perplexing Outbreak of Mice in Patagonia, Argentina". Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment. 37 (3): 187–200. doi:10.1076/snfe.37.3.187.8563.
  8. Medina, Rafael A.; Torres-Perez, Fernando; Galeno, Hector; Navarrete, Maritza; Vial, Pablo A.; Palma, R. Eduardo; Ferres, Marcela; Cook, Joseph A.; Hjelle, Brian (2008). "Ecology, Genetic Diversity, and Phylogeographic Structure of Andes Virus in Humans and Rodents in Chile". Journal of Virology. 83 (6): 2446–59. doi:10.1128/JVI.01057-08. PMC   2648280 . PMID   19116256.
  9. "Reported Cases of HPS: HPS in the United States". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 21 April 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2014.

Literature cited