733.

Lima Leaf-eared Mouse

Phyllotis limatus

French: Phyllotis de Lima / German: Lima-Blattohrmaus / Spanish: Raton orejudo de Lima

Other common names: Lima Pericote

Taxonomy. Phyllotis darwini [sic] limatus Thomas, 1912, “Chosica, near Lima, Peru. Alt. 850 m. ”

Populations of P. limatus from central Arequipa Department (Peru) to northern Chile are probably different from the typical form. Monotypic.

Distribution. CW Peru S to N Chile.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 111-8 mm, tail 128-1 mm, hindfoot 26-2 mm (means); weight 40-60 g (individual values for three adult males from Atacama were 54 g, 54 g, and 55 g). Fur of the Lima Leaf-eared Mouse is fine and soft. Dorsum is pale grayish drab, with variable suffusion of buffy; sides are buffy; face is clearer gray; and venter is dull creamy white. Ears are large and pale brown. Manus and pes are white. Tail is not very heavily haired and bicolored, brown above and white below; some specimens have an all-white tail. Males have two pairs of preputial glands. Maxillary tooth row is short to moderate long (4:2-5-8 mm); Upper incisors are Narrow.

Habitat. Arid desert, Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) desert, arid foothills, rocky outcrops, lomas, and varied habitats supporting cacti and scattered weeds from sea level up to elevations of 4000 m.

Food and Feeding. The Lima Leaf-eared Mouse eats plants, fungi, and arthropods.

Breeding. Breeding of the Lima Leaf-eared Mouse seems to coincide with wet season (November—April), but some pregnant females have been recorded in every month. Litters average 3-7 young in females from mountains of southern Peru, but at Morro Sama on Tacna to southern Peru,litters were larger than in any of the other populations during an El Nino event (embryo counts of 2, 6, 6, and 7).

Activity patterns. The Lima Leaf-eared Mouse is terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Lima Leaf-eared Mice marked with microchips in a pre-Puna habitat north of Calama (Chile)—a high semi-desert environment—revealed movement of up to 2-5 km for a relocated individual and 1-2 km for a resident individual; densities were extremely low at 0-0-6 ind/ha. In contrast, lineal displacements in a coastal desert in Peru averaged 36 m.

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

Bibliography. Alvarez (2016), Iriarte (2008), Kuch et al. (2002), Lobos & Alzamora (2016), Mann (1978), Osgood (1943a), Pearson (1958, 1975), Pearson & Ralph (1978), Pizzimenti & de Salle (1980), Palma, Marquet & Boric-Bargetto (2005), Steppan & Ramirez (2015), Thomas (1912c), Vivar (2016).