556.

Yungas Grass Mouse

Akodon aerosus

French: Akodon cuivré / German: Yungas-Graslandmaus / Spanish: Raton campestre de Yungas

Other common names: Highland Grass Mouse, Yungas Akodont

Taxonomy. Akodon aerosus Thomas, 1913, “Mirador, Banos [Azuay], Ecuador. Alt 1500 m.”

Akodon aerosus baliolus, with type locality in Santo Domingo, Puno, Peru, is currently subsumed under A. aerosus but deserves closer attention. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Andean slopes from S Ecuador through Peru to C Bolivia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 96-119 mm, tail 70-86 mm, ear 15-18 mm, hindfoot 22-25 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Yungas Grass Mouse is a moderately large species of Akodon . Dorsal pelage is dense, short, and dark brown, contrasting slightly with paler venter. Ears, forefeet, hindfeet, and tail are blackish brown. Karyotype is 2n = 40 from Ayacucho specimens.

Habitat. Mostly premontane forest, grassy areas, young second growth, and Yungas along eastern side of the Andes at elevations of 1200-2400 m.

Food and Feeding. The Yungas Grass Mouse eats insects, seeds, and vegetation, as well as mychorrizal spores.

Breeding. Pregnant and lactating Yungas Grass Mice were recorded in July-August, with litters of 2-7 young (based on embryo counts or placental scars). Individuals nest in burrows and travel in tunnels under leaflitter.

Activity patterns. The Yungas Grass Mouse is terrestrial and mostly nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Alvarez (2016), Anderson (1997), Bernal, Dunnum & Vivar (2016), Pacheco et al. (2011), Pardifas, Teta, Alvarado-Serrano et al. (2015), Patton & Smith (1992a, 1992b), Patton et al. (1990).