373.

Santa Marta Rice Rat

Nephelomys maculiventer

French: Néphélomys de Santa Marta / German: Santa-Marta-Reisratte / Spanish: Rata arrocera de Santa Marta

Other common names: Santa Marta Nephelomys

Taxonomy. Oryzomys maculiventer J. A. Allen, 1899, Sierra El Libano, 6000 ft, Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia.

C. Cardenas in 2017 concluded that N. maculiventer was a junior synonym of N. meridensis . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from slopes of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serrania de Perija, N Colombia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 127-180 mm, tail 148-194 mm, ear 19 mm (dry), hindfoot 28-36 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Santa Marta Rice Rat is medium-large, with full, long, and soft pelage. Dorsum is tawny rufous, varied with black tipped hairs, and brighter and lighter tawny on sides; top of head is darker and less tawny than dorsum; nose and sides of face to eyes are gray; underparts are pure white; ventral pelage has patches of single-colored hairs on almost all specimens; forearm and manus are pure white to above elbow; hindfeet are gray, with tinge of fulvous, especially proximally; ears are large, brown, nearly naked on both surfaces except on anterior bases externally; and tail is usually unicolored. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 66, FN = 112.

Habitat. Montane and cloud forests at elevations of 900-2600 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red List.

Bibliography. Allen (1899b), Cardenas (2017), Gardner & Patton (1976), Musser & Williams (1985), Percequillo (2015).