52.

Puntlla Tuco-tuco

Ctenomys coludo

French: Tuco-tuco de La Puntilla / German: Puntilla-Kammratte / Spanish: Tuco tuco de La Puntilla

Taxonomy. Ctenomys coludo Thomas, 1920);

“La Puntilla, near Tinogasta, Catamarca,” 28°04’ S, 67°34’ W, at ¢.1000 m, Argentina .

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

Distribution. NW Argentina, known only from the type locality near Tinogasta.

Descriptive notes. Total length 302 mm, tail 97 mm, all measurements from the type specimen (a male). No specific data are available for body weight. The Puntilla Tuco-tuco is relatively large. It is easily identified by uniform pale color, long tail, narrow skull, and large bullae. It is also easily differentiated from the two geographically closest species: the smaller Foch’s Tuco-tuco ( C. fochi) and the Catamarca Tuco-tuco ( C. knighti) that is much darker and has shorter tail, larger teeth, and broader frontal region.

Habitat. Humid Chaco region at elevations of ¢.1000 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. The Puntilla Tuco-tuco is solitary.

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

Bibliography. Bidau (2015).