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Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse

Abrawayaomys ruschii

French: Souris-barbée de Ruschi / German: Brasilien-Ruschi-Ratte / Spanish: Ratén espinoso de Ruschi

Other common names: Ruschi's Rat

Taxonomy. Abrawayaomys ruschiz Cunha & Cruz, 1979, “Forno Grande [= Parque Estadual do Forno Grande (20.5°S, 41.6°W) |, municipio de Castelo, ES [= Espirito Santo], Brasil.”

Abrawayaomys ruschii is the type species of the genus. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from scattered localities in SE & S Brazil, from Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo to Santa Catarina states.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 89-135 mm, tail 85-142 mm, ear 16—20 mm, hindfoot 28-32 mm; weight 25-63 g. Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse is a medium-sized sigmodontine, characterized by a massive body, large and blunt head, spiny fur, small eyes, and tail same or longer than head-body length. External differences between Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse and Chebez’s Spiny Mouse (A. chebezi) are subtle; Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse is larger than Chebez’s Spiny Mouse and typically has white terminal tuft on tail; it is brown dorsally and yellowish to whitish ventrally.

Habitat. Atlantic Interior Forest habitats, including primary to disturbed forests. Most captures of Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse are from interiors of forest fragments and along their margins during the rainy season.

Food and Feeding. Little is known, but a captive Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse ate fruits and vegetation.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Ruschi’s Spiny Mouse is nocturnal. Skeletal anatomy suggests a terrestrial mode of locomotion, a hypothesis supported by reported captures on the ground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Cerboncini et al. (2014), Cherem et al. (2005), Coutinho et al. (2013), Cunha & Cruz (1979), Duarte & Lessa (2015), Finotti et al. (2003), Maestri et al. (2015), Pardinas, Teta & D’Elia (2009, 2015), Passamani et al. (2011), Percequillo et al. (2017), Pereira et al. (2008), Ventura et al. (2013).