371.

Gray South American Spiny Mouse

Scolomys melanops

French: Scolomys dAnthony / German: Graue Neuweltstachelmaus / Spanish: Raton espinoso gris

Other common names: Gray Spiny Mouse, Short-nosed Scolomys, South American Spiny Mouse

Taxonomy. Scolomys melanops Anthony, 1924, “Mera, about 3800 feet [= m] elevation, [Pastaza], eastern Ecuador.”

Scolomys melanops is the type species of the genus. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Ecuador and NE Peru between N bank of Rio Napo, Rio Pastaza, and N of Amazon River.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 85-104 mm, tail 55-76 mm, ear 13-17 mm, hindfoot 18-23 mm; weight 20-33 g. The Gray South American Spiny Mouse has spiny fur and is grizzled pale reddish brown to dark reddish black, finely streaked with black above and below. Vibrissae are thin and long, reaching ears when bent. Hallux lacks a claw. End of heel is hairy. Tail is shorter than head-body length, with scattered short hairs. There are three pairs of mammae: one postaxial, one abdominal, and one inguinal. Cranially, rostrum is short, wide, and blunt; zygomatic arches are wide and rounded; nasolacrimal capsules are laterally expanded; and upper incisors are proodont. Chromosomal complement of Ecuadorean specimens (Rio Napo) is 2n = 60, FN = 78.

Habitat. [Lowland and piedmont rainforest, disturbed and primary forest, cultivated fields, and edges of mature forest, in patches of remnant forest, at elevations of 150— 1200 m. Gray South American Spiny Mice were mainly recorded on the ground, captured by pitfall traps; some specimens were captured on fallen logs.

Food and Feeding. The Gray South American Spiny Mouse probably eats fruits, stalk fibers, and stems of the palm Lepidocaryum tenue ( Arecaceae).

Breeding. In Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve (Peru), reproductively active males were caught in March, October, and November, and eight of 16 adults had scrotal testes, suggesting year-round breeding; pregnant females were caught in March— April. Litters averaged 2-5 young. In Ecuador, pregnant females were caught in March; litter size was three young.

Activity patterns. The Gray South American Spiny Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Gray South American Spiny Mice are solitary. They use fiber from Lepidocaryum tenue to build nests.

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

Bibliography. Anderson, Gémez-Laverde & Tirira (2016a), Anthony (1924b), Emmons & Feer (1999), Gémez-Laverde et al. (2004), Hice (2001), Hice & Schmidly (2002), Hice & Velazco (2012), Musser & Carleton (2005), Pacheco et al. (2009), Patton (2015c), Patton & da Silva (1995), Rageot & Albuja (1994), Rengifo & Aquino (2012), Tirira (2007).