338.

Venezuelan Fish-eating Rat

Neusticomys venezuelae

French: Ichthyomys du Venezuela / German: Venezuela-Fischratte / Spanish: Rata pescadora de Venezuela

Other common names: Fish-eating Rat, Venezuelan Ichthyomyine

Taxonomy. Daptomys venezuelae Anthony, 1929, “Neveri, about 15 miles [= 24 km] west of Cumanacoa [Sucre State|, northern Venezuela; altitude 2400 feet [= 732 m].” This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from five localities in Venezuela and Guyana.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 100-132 mm, tail 100-120 mm, ear 10-13 mm, hindfoot 25-28 mm; weight 58-66 g. Dorsum of the Venezuelan Fish-eating Rat is uniform blackish brown, with tips of long hairs glistening black and bases slate-colored. Head and body areslightly lighter in tone than back; underparts are slate, grizzled with gray, and tips of long hairs are silvery whitish. Tail is brownish black above and below, and its hairs are quite long and thick. Toes of forefoot are whitish, with rest of upper surfaces of forefeet clove-brown; hindfeet are brown and sparsely haired.

Habitat. Near clear streams in rainforests at elevations from near sea level to 1400 m.

Food and Feeding. The Venezuelan Fish-eating Rat eats aquatic invertebrates.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Venezuelan Fish-eating Ratis semi-aquatic and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The Venezuelan Fish-eating Rat is a habitat specialist, dependent on clear streams, and is known from only five widely separated localities in Venezuela and Guyana. It is estimated to be declining rapidly due to decreasing distribution, and habitat destruction and degradation.

Bibliography. Anthony (1929), Emmons (1997), Ochoa & Rivas (2008), Voss (1988, 2015b).