615.

Gardner’s Climbing Rat

Rhipidomys gardneri

French: Rhipidomys de Gardner / German: GardnerNeuweltklettermaus / Spanish: Rata trepadora de Gardner

Other common names: Gardner's Climbing Mouse, Gardner's Rhipidomys

Taxonomy. Rhipidomys gardner: Patton, M. N. F. da Silva & Malcolm, 2000, Reserva Cusco Amazonico, left (= north) bank of the Rio Madre de Dios, 14 km east of Puerto Maldonado, Departamento de Madre de Dios, Peru.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. E Peru (from Loreto to Madre de Dios regions), W Brazil (Acre State), and NW Bolivia (La Paz Department).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 161-190 mm, tail 177-194 mm, ear 19-20 mm, hindfoot 31-38 mm; weight 126-155 g. Gardner’s Climbing Rat is large, with relatively short and coarse dorsal fur, gray to orange-brown-agouti in color; venter is fulvous to yellow, with gray-based hairs limited to midline of throat and chest. Tail is 110-140% of head-body length, uniformly brown, and covered with short hair, terminating in short pencil not exceeding 6 mm. Ears are moderate in size and dark brown. Hindfeet are long but broad, with narrow dark dorsal patch limited to metatarsals (not extending onto digits).

Habitat. Undisturbed lowland evergreen forest at elevations below 200 m to above 2500 m.

Food and Feeding. Little is known, but stomach content of one Gardner’s Climbing Rat contained insect larvae.

Breeding. Females can become pregnant while still lactating; e.g. one female captured when nursing a litter of three young was pregnant with four 20mm embryos.

Activity patterns. Gardner’s Climbing Ratis arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Pacheco & Peralta (2011), Patton et al. (2000), Tribe (1996, 2015), Vivaret al. (2008), Voss & Emmons (1996).