361.

Chebez’s Spiny Mouse

Abrawayaomys chebezi

French: Souris-barbée de Chebez / German: Argentinien-Ruschi-Ratte / Spanish: Raton espinoso de Chebez

Taxonomy. Abrawayaomys chebezi Pardinas, Teta & D’Elia, 2009, “ Argentina: Province of Misiones, Department of Iguazu, conjunction Arroyo Mbocai and route 12.”

A study by A. R. Percequillo and colleagues in 2017 calls attention to the potential conspecificity of A. chebezi with A. ruschii . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from a few localities in extreme E Paraguay, NE Argentina, and nearby S Brazil.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 105-120 mm, tail 112-133 mm, ear 17 mm, hindfoot 28-29 mm; weight 35 g. Chebez’s Spiny Mouse is smaller than Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse (A. ruschii), particularly in dental measurements. Chebez’s Spiny Mouse is long-tailed, with short and clearly spiny pelage, and general appearance is strongly agouti and hispid, darker at midline and moderately countered-shaded below. Ears are obvious and rounded; vibrissae are long and thin; and tail is uniformly brown, with conspicuous scales and short tuft of dark brown hairs in tip. Manus are dorsally covered by whitish hair, and pinkish tone of underlying skin coloris evident; ungual tufts extend beyond each claw; pes are somewhat darker above, long and narrow, with five large digits distally appearing bicolored due to abundant silver ungual tufts; plantar surface is naked and covered with squamae; pedal claws are short; and ungual tufts surpass lengths of claws.

Habitat. Atlantic Interior Forest habitats. A Chebez’s Spiny Mouse was trapped in disturbed forest fragment on the ground, with secondary growth (“capuera”) c.12 years old. Adjacent, undisturbed forest had emergent trees greater than 25 m high.

Food and Feeding. Stomach contents of one Chebez’s Spiny Mouse had remains of a bee, probably Apis mellifera ( Apidae) and small filaments, very hard and ivory colored, probably from gnawed endocarp offruit of Strychnos brasiliensis (LLoganiaceae), a small tree known to attract domestic and wild bees.

Breeding. A subadult Chebez’s Spiny Mouse with a scrotal testis was recorded in late September.

Activity patterns. Chebez’s Spiny Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Cerboncini et al. (2014), Duarte & Lessa (2015), Pardinas, Teta & D’Elia (2009, 2015), Percequillo et al. (2017).