745.

Wolffsohn’s Leaf-eared Mouse

Tapecomys wolffsohni

French: Phyllotis de Wollfsohn / German: Wolffsohn-Blattohrmaus / Spanish: Ratén orejudo de Wolffsohn

Other common names: \\ olffsohn's Pericote

Taxonomy. Phyllotis wolffsohni Thomas, 1902, Tapacari, 3000 m, Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Specimens from north-western Argentina correspond to T. primus or an undescribed species but not to 1T. wolffsohni . Monotypic.

Distribution. C Bolivia (Cochabamba and Chuquisaca departments).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 110-145 mm, tail 114-158 mm, ear 23-28 mm, hindfoot 26-30 mm; weight 41-70 g (mean 54 g). Tapecomys contains medium-sized, Phyllotislike sigmodontines, with agouti brownish dorsal pelage, bright ocherous lateral line, and whitish gray ventral pelage; tail is distinctly bicolored, not penicillate, moderately furred, and slightly longer than head-body length; manus is white; pes is relatively large and covered with white hairs; genal and superciliary vibrissae are present, extending to edges of pinnae when laid back; hindfeet have conspicuous tufts of ungual hairs at bases of claws on second to fifth digits; and first digit has ungual tufts but much less conspicuous. Wolffsohn’s Leaf-eared Mouse is smaller than the Tapecua Leaf-eared Mouse (71. primus), with tail usually longer than head-body length and somewhat smaller ears. Dorsum is overall yellowish brown, streaked with black; hairs are bicolored, with elongated basal gray band and narrow phaeomelanin tip. Venteris white, but gray bases of hairs show through; pectoralstreak may or may not be present. Tail is moderately bicolored, dark yellowish brown above, and paler yellow to white below. Dorsal surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are white. Ears are darker than body. Chromosomal complementis 2n = 54, FN = 72.

Habitat. Andean brush and scrub habitats at elevations of 2200-3500 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. A pregnant Wolffsohn’s Leaf-eared Mouse carrying two embryos was caught in March, and a lactating female was caught in July, suggesting reproduction during wet season.

Activity patterns. Wolffsohn’s Leaf-eared Mouse is terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Phyllotis wolffsohni).

Bibliography. Anderson (1997), Anderson & Yates (2000), Dunnum, Vargas & Bernal (2016b), Hershkovitz (1962), Jayat et al. (2006), Pardinas, Teta & Salazar-Bravo (2015b), Pearson (1958), Salazar-Bravo (2015e), Steppan et al. (2007).