625.

Woodland Oldfield Mouse

Thomasomys hylophilus

French: Thomasomys des bois / German: Waldland-Paramomaus / Spanish: Ratén de erial de tierra arbolada

Other common names: \ Woodland Thomasomys

Taxonomy. Thomasomys hylophilus Osgood, 1912, Paramo de Tama, Upper Rio Tachira, Norte de Santander, Colombia.

Morphological differences had been reported between populations from Boyaca and Paramo de Tama, suggesting potential occurrence of an unnamed taxon probably at subspecific level. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Andes Range in E Colombia and Cordillera de Mérida in W Venezuela.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 107-126 mm, tail 124-155 mm, ear 17-20 mm, hindfoot 24-5-28 mm; weight 32-40 g. Dorsum of the Woodland Oldfield Mouse is tawny olive mixed with blackish, sometimes more blackish along middle of back; sides and face are woody brown to tawny olive; and underparts are cinnamon, with slate-colored hair at base. Forefeet are silvery gray, and forelimbs are blackish. Tail is uniformly blackish, except for white tip, and 104-145% of head-body length. Mystacial vibrissae are moderately long, extending slightly beyond posterior margin of pinnae when bent. Hindfootis whitish drab above with white digits.

Habitat. Dense montane forests on upper slopes of paramo. Woodland Oldfield Mice were recorded at bases and in roots of trees, often in bamboo thickets, mossy rotting logs, shrubs and tree ferns, mossy tree limbs, litter on stream banks, and under tangled vines, near streams, most often in cloud forest but also in clearings used for pasture and crops.

Food and Feeding. Woodland Oldfield Mice eat seeds and fruits.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Woodland Oldfield Mouse is terrestrial to scansorial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Woodland Oldfield Mice reportedly live among galleries that naturally form under mossy roots, logs, and debris.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Woodland Oldfield Mouse occurs in less than 5000 km?, which is severely fragmented, and extent and quality of its forest habitat continue to decline.

Bibliography. Gomez-Laverde & Pacheco (2008b), Handley (1976), Linares (1998), Osgood (1912), Pacheco (2003, 2015b), Voss (2003).