568.

Montane Grass Mouse

Akodon montensis

French: Akodon des collines / German: Berg-Graslandmaus / Spanish: Raton campestre de monte

Other common names: Montane Akodont

Taxonomy. Akodon arviculoides montensis Thomas, 1913, “Sapucay [= Sapucai],” Paraguari Department, Paraguay.

Molecular data from A. montensis strongly suggest the necesity of a trinomial classification. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE & S Brazil, C & E Paraguay, and NE Argentina.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 110 and 103 mm, tail 90 and 84 mm, ear 18 and 17 mm, hindfoot 26 and 25 mm; weight 29 and 23 g (mean values for males and females, respectively, collected in Misiones Province, Argentina). Males are larger, on average, than females. The Montane Grass Mouse is very similar to the Cursorial Grass Mouse (A. cursor) in external morphology, but it is slightly smaller and darker.

Habitat. Pristine habitats of Atlantic Forest and, more rarely, Cerrado at elevations above 800 m. The Montane Grass Mouse can occur in mangrove—coastal forest interface, gallery forest along creeks and streams, and secondary forest and other anthropogenic disturbed habitats.

Food and Feeding. The Montane Grass Mouse eats seeds mostly from Ficus organensis ( Moraceae) and Piper cf. solmsianum ( Piperaceae). In north-eastern Argentina, stomachs contained arthropods.

Breeding. Reproduction of the Montane Grass Mouse peaks in winter and spring. Gestation lasts ¢.23 days, and litter size is 3-5 young. Offspring are typically weaned within 15 days.

Activity patterns. The Montane Grass Mouse is mostly nocturnal but also diurnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Montane Grass Mice are solitary. Home ranges are 1460 m* for males and 1092 m?® for females. Lineal distances moved between trapping sessions were 100-370 m.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List, although thought to be decreasing in abundance.

Bibliography. Cherem & Perez (1996), Cirignoli et al. (2011), Couto & Talamoni (2005), Davis (1945a), Fontes et al. (2007), Gamarra de Fox & Martin (1996), Geise, de Moraes & Silva (2005), Geise, Pereira et al. (2004), Goodin et al. (2009), Graipel et al. (2001), Horn (2005), Massoia & Fornes (1962), Malleret et al. (2016), Pardinas, D’Elia & Cirignoli (2003), Pardinas, D’Elia, Cirignoli & Suarez (2005), Pardinas, D'Elia, Fagundes et al. (2016), Pardinas, Teta, Alvarado-Serrano et al. (2015), Rieger et al. (1995), de la Sancha (2010, 2014), Valdez & D’Elia (2013).