692.

Gray Soft-haired Mouse

Abrothrix illutea

French: Abrothrix gris / German: Graue Andenfeldmaus / Spanish: Raton de pelaje suave gris

Other common names: Gray Akodont, Gray Grass Mouse

Taxonomy. Abrothrix illutea Thomas, 1925, Concepcion [Concepcion], 400 m, Tucuman [Tucuman], Argentina .

Abrothrix illutea is in the subgenus Pegamys. Monotypic.

Distribution. NW Argentina (Catamarca and Tucuman provinces).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 110-127 mm, tail 82-88 mm, ear 19-21 mm, hindfoot 27-30 mm; weight 37-55 g. See general characters of the genus under the Long-haired Soft-haired Mouse (A. longipilis) account. The Gray Soft-haired Mouse is a large species of Abrothrix, with uniform color and tail ¢.65-67% of head-body length. Dorsal pelage is soft, woolly, and dense and composed almost entirely of gray hair with ocherous tips, giving dark olive-gray appearance. Rhinarium and lips are covered by short, thin, and much more ocherous delicate hair. Mystacial vibrissae are abundant, bright, and moderately long, reaching anterior parts of ears. Ears are short, rounded, and dark gray, with margins of inner surfaces covered with short and thin black hair. Flanks are similar to dorsum but slight ly lighter. Venter is ashy gray, with each individual hair dark gray at bases and white at tips. There is a small patch or some white hair under chin and in inguinal area. Forefeet and hindfeet are covered by short brown hairs dorsally. Ungual tufts are whitish, shorter than claws on forefeet and longer than claws on hindfeet; claws are moderately long, keeled for c.33-50% of their length. Tail is slightly bicolored, dark gray above and ashy gray below.

Habitat. Moist Podocarpus parlatorei ( Podocarpaceae) and Alnus acuminata (Betulaceae) forests on steep slopes at elevations of¢.1700 m. The Gray Soft-haired Mouseis also known from a few records for the “Selva Montana ” ecoregion at elevations of 700-2200 m. At its upper elevational limit, it inhabits tall grass and brushy habitats along streams.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Capllonch et al. (1997), Fonollat (1984), Liascovich et al. (1989), Patterson et al. (2015), Teta & Roach (2016), Teta, Canon et al. (2017), Teta, D’Elia et al. (2011), Thomas (1925b).