423.

Tate’s Rice Rat

Hylaeamys tatei

French: Oryzomys de Tate / German: Tate-Reisratte / Spanish: Rata arrocera de Tate

Other common names: Tate's Hylaeamys, Tate's Oryzomys

Taxonomy. Oryzomys tatei Musser et al., 1998, “Palmera (01°25’S / 78°12°W ...), at 4000 ft (1220 m), Provincia del Tungurahua, Ecuador.” This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from a few localities along upper Rio Pastaza in the E Andean slope of C Ecuador.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 118-137 mm, tail 189-127 mm, ear 21 mm, hindfoot 30-32 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Tate’s Rice Rat is medium-sized, with dark brown dorsum and long and dark fur more evident in toward mid-dorsum. Venter is abruptly pale relative to dorsum and flanks, dark grayish white, with bases of hairs always gray. Muzzle 1s long and pronounced; eyes are large; and ears are long, well-defined, blackish to dark brown, and bare in appearance. Vibrissae are thin and short, and when tilted backward, they hardly reach ears. Tail is shorter than head-body length and uniform brown. Fingers are long and thin, with long hairs extending over all claws except thumb. Females have four pairs of mammae: axial, pectoral, abdominal, and inguinal pairs.

Habitat. Primary or secondary premontane tropical forest, and cultivated areas, preferably close to bodies of water, large or small, at elevations of 1159 m—-1750 m.

Food and Feeding. Tate’s Rice Rat mainly eats fruits and seeds.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Tate's Rice Rat is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Musser, Carleton et al. (1998), Percequillo (2015e), Pinto et al. (2017), Tirira & Weksler (2008).