685.

Michaelsen’s Long-clawed Mouse

Geoxus michaelseni

French: Géoxus de Michaelsen / German: Michaelsen-Langkrallenmaus / Spanish: Ratén topo de Michaelsen

Taxonomy. Hesperomys (Acodon) michaelseni Matschie, 1898, Punta Arenas, Magallanes y Antartica Chilena, Chile.

Exact provenance of the holotype of G. michaelseni 1s questionable. Taxonomy is poorly explored; treated here as monotypic although several names, including Oxymycterus microtis by J. A. Allen in 1903 and Notiomys valdivianus bicolorby W. H. Osgood in 1943 are available for binomial or trinomial classifications. Oxymycterus delfini is regarded by P. Teta and others in 2015 as ajunior synonym of G. michaelseni, a proposition that we followed here. Monotypic.

Distribution. S Andean continental Argentina and adjacent Chile S to W Tierra del Fuego.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 97 mm, tail 45 mm, hindfoot 21 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Michaelsen’s Long-clawed Mouse is slightly larger than the Valdivian Long-clawed Mouse ( G. valdivianus). Pelage of Michaelsen’s Longclawed Mouse is thick, short, and fine, almost mole-like. Dorsum is dark yellowish brown; venter is whitish gray, with plumbeous under fur tinging otherwise whitish surface; top and sides of nose are dark grayish brown, without any tinge of yellow or rufous; ears are very small, scarcely reaching surface of shortfur; tail is very short, very thickly covered with hair, dark brown, and only slightly lighter below than above; upper surfaces of feet are grayish brown, with lighter yellowish white toes; and soles of feet are naked, dark flesh color.

Habitat. Post-glacial landscapes characterized by forests and ecotones of the southern Andean mainland, preferring dense Nothofagus (Nothofagaceae) underbrush and precordilleran shrubby and grasslands steppes.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The form delfini was classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List (as Chelemys delfini).

Bibliography. Allen (1903a, 1905), Canén et al. (2014), Chebez et al. (2014), Kelt (1994), Mann (1978), Matschie (1898), Osgood (1925, 1943a), Pardinas (2013), Teta (2013), Teta, Canén et al. (2017), Teta, Pardinas & D'Elia (2015b), Texera (1973).