498.

Baron's Rice Rat

Aegialomys baroni

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

Other common names: Baron's Aegialomys

Taxonomy. Oryzomys baron i J. A. Allen, 1897, Malca, Cajabamba, Peru.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. S Ecuador to NC Peru, from Pacific coast to W foothills of Andes.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 130 mm, tail 137-172 mm, hindfoot 27-33 mm, ear 18-23 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Fur of Baron’s Rice Rat is soft, dense, lax, and long, with yellowish wool and cover hairs and brown guard hairs. Dorsum is yellowish cream, lightly grizzled with brown, resulting in grayish yellow color; venter is grayish. Tail is longer than head-body length (119%), bicolored dorso-ventrally, and covered by very long hairs, with very small scales and c.23 scales/ cm. Dorsal surface of hindfoot is densely covered by long and white hair. Plantar pads are fleshy, including thenar and hypothenar. Ears are covered internally and externally with brown hair with yellowish apex. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 56, FN = 58.

Habitat. Arid habitats on Ecuadorean and Peruvian coasts, including extremely dry areas to humid forests, in areas of grass and steppe, lomas, and coastal wetlands. In Ecuador, Baron’s Rice Rat inhabits a transition zone between wetland forest and extremely dry areas.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Baron’s Rice Rat is nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red List as a distinct species. [UCN considers it conspecific with the Yellowish Rice Rat (A. xanthaeolus), which is classified as Least Concern.

Bibliography. Allen (1897c¢), Prado & Percequillo (2016, 2017), Uturunco & Pacheco (2016).