56.

Catamarca Tuco-tuco

Ctenomys knighti

French: Tuco-tuco de Knight / German: Catamarca-Kammratte / Spanish: Tuco tuco de Catamarca

Taxonomy. Ctenomys knighti Thomas, 1919,

“Otro Cerro, North-eastern Rioja.” Restricted by U. F. J. Pardinas and colleagues in 2007 to an abandoned ranch at the southern end of Sierra de Ambato, NE Chumbicha, Departamento Capayan, Catamarca, Argentina, 28°45’ S, 66°17’ W, 2023 m.

Ctenomys knighti is not classified in any species group. Karyotype and sperm form are unknown. Monotypic.

Distribution. NW Argentina (Catamarca and La Rioja provinces).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 203 mm, tail 82 mm, hindfoot 36 mm, all measurements from the holotype (an adult male). No specific data are available for body weight. The Catamarca Tuco-tuco is small to medium-sized. Dorsum is dark brown; flanks are buffy, mainly over thighs. Venter is uniformly ocherous, with cinnamonbuff hair tips. There is no collar around throat, and muzzle is markedly blackish on top and sides of mouth and tip of chin. Skull is elongated, nasal is narrow, and bullae are large.

Habitat. High grasslands in Dry Chaco and Argentine Northwest Monte and Thistle of the Prepuna ecoregions at elevations of 770-2025 m.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Bidau (2015), Pardinas et al. (2007).