223.

Talamancan Harvest Mouse

Reithrodontomys creper

French: Souris-moissonneuse du Chiriqui / German: Talamanca-Erntemaus / Spanish: Raton espiguero de Talamanca

Other common names: Chiriqui Harvest Mouse

Taxonomy. Reithrodontomys creper Bangs, 1902, Volcan de Chiriqui, 11,000 ft. (= 3353 m), Chiriqui Province, Panama.

Reithrodontomys creper is in subgenus Aporodon. Monotypic.

Distribution. NC Costa Rica to WC Panama.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 89-93 mm, tail 119-145 mm, ear 13-17 mm, hindfoot 22-25 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Talamancan Harvest Mouse is the largest species of Reithrodontomys . Dorsum is brownish orange, infused with black guard hairs; sides are tawny; and venter is pinkish cinnamon. Compared to the Narrow-nosed Harvest Mouse ( R. tenuirostris), the Talamancan Harvest Mouse has larger skull and more robust rostrum.

Habitat. Wet forested areas with grasses and fallen logs and bases of rock cliffs generally above elevations of 2290 m. The Talamancan Harvest Mouse is found throughout high-elevation regions of south-central Costa Rica and west-central Panama, especially at various volcanoes and throughout the Cordillera de Talamanca.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Talamancan Harvest Mouse is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Bangs (1902), Hall (1981), Hooper (1952a).