456.

Minute Bristly Mouse

Neacomys minutus

French: Néacomys nain / German: Kleine Stachelreisratte / Spanish: Raton erizado infimo

Other common names: Minute Neacomys, Minute Spiny Mouse

Taxonomy. Neacomys minutus Patton, M. N. FE. da Silva & Malcolm, 2000, Altamira, left bank Jurua River, Amazonas, Brazil.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. W Amazon Basin in Peru (Rio Galvez Basin, Loreto Department) and Brazil (C and lower sections Rio Jurua, Amazonas State).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 65-79 mm, tail 70-84 mm, ear 10-13 mm, hindfoot 19-22 mm; weight 10-15 g (mean 12-4 g).

The Minute Bristly Mouse is diminutive, with long tail, dark orange dorsum strongly but finely streaked with black, short ears (13 mm or less), and several diagnostic cranial characters. It is considerably smaller than the Large Bristly Mouse (N. spinosus) in all external and cranial measurements. Other than smaller body size, the Minute Bristly Mouse has distinctly smaller hindfeet, black instead of more brown ears, and darker dorsal pelage more finely streaked with black than the Large Bristly Mouse. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 35-36, FN = 40.

Habitat. [.owland, moist broadleaf rainforest of western Amazon Basin, upland (terra firma), and seasonally flooded (varzea) forests.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Pregnant Minute Bristly Mice were collected during dry and wet seasons; litters had three young. One lactating female was also pregnant, suggesting postpartum estrus. Reproductively active individuals of both sexes still in partial juvenile pelage but with completely erupted but unworn teeth suggested that breeding commenced at an early age.

Activity patterns. The Minute Bristly Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Patton & Percequillo (2008a), Patton et al. (2000), da Silva et al. (2015), Weksler & Bonvicino (2015a).