525.

Amazonian Hocicudo

Oxymycterus amazonicus

French: Hocicudo dAmazonie / German: Amazonas-Grabmaus / Spanish: Ratén hocicudo del Amazonas

Taxonomy. Oxymycterus amazonicus Hershkovitz, 1994, “Fordlandia, right bank, lower Rio Tapajoz [sic], Para, Brazil, 3°40’S, 552 30'W.” This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Lower Amazon of W & C Brazil.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 140-148 mm, tail 86— 95 mm, ear 16— 20 mm, hindfoot 28-29 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Species of Oxymycterus can be easily recognized by long muzzles, small eyes, and long and strong claws on forefeet and hindfeet. Tail is shorter than head-body length, and ears usually protrude above fur but are short and rounded. The Amazonian Hocicudo is a small species of Oxymycterus . Dorsum and sides up to base oftail and hindfeet are dark brown, contrasting reddish orange venter and paler or whitish throat. Specimens of Oxymycterus have a distinct and strong scent when caught, similar to acrylic aldehyde, that is attributed to a putative warning function; anal protuberance recorded in Oxymycterus could be associated with this scent production.

Habitat. Mainly lowland moist forests.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Trapping data of the Amazonian Hocicudo suggest nocturnal activity and terrestrial habits. Several authors considered these rodents as fossorial or semi-fossorial within the sigmodontine radiation. Nevertheless, there are no data associating Oxymycterus with burrows or subterranean galleries. The “fossorial body plan” displayed by species of Oxymycterus more likely could be constrained by phylogeny than by functionality.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Hershkovitz (1994), Hoffmann et al. (2002), Oliveira & Gongalves (2015), Patton et al. (2008b).