608.

Albuja’s Climbing Rat

Rhipidomys albujari

French: Rhipidomys d’Albuja / German: Albuja-Neuweltklettermaus / Spanish: Rata trepadora de Albuja

Other common names: Albuja’s Rhipidomys

Taxonomy. Rhipidomys albujai Brito et al., 2017, Sardinayacu, Sangay National Park, Morona Santiago, Ecuador.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Restricted to the type locality in Andes of E Ecuador.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 118-130 mm, tail 146-162 mm, ear 16-18 mm, hindfoot 21-26 mm; weight 46-62 g. Albuja’s Climbing Rat is small, with soft fine coat. Back is yellowish brown; fur is 7-10 mm long, with guard hairs of 9-13 mm; and venter is white to yellowish, contrasting with back. Tips of hairs sometimes have orange hue. Hairs on belly and back have gray bases. Tail is longer than head-body length. Similar to congeners, Albuja’s Climbing Rat has plume of hairs in tip oftail. Feet are broad, with dark hairs in middle region that extend to bases of phalanges. Medium-sized ears are darker than dorsum. Albuja’s Climbing Rats emit constant calls and ones with modulated frequency.

Habitat. Subtropical forests at elevations of 1400-1800 m. Abundant orchids and bromeliads characterize habitats of Albuja’s Climbing Rat. Canopies reach 30 m high, with dominant species such as Romerillo ( Prumnopitys montana, Podocarpaceae), cedro ( Cedrela montana, Meliaceae), copal ( Dacryodes peruviana, Burseraceae), and royal palm ( Dictyocaryum lamarckianum, Arecaceae).

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. A nursing female and an adult male with scrotal testes were found in February.

Activity patterns. Albuja’s Climbing Rat is nocturnal, terrestrial, and arboreal. It has been collected on the ground and 1-8 m high.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Brito et al. (2017).