394.

Red Arboreal Rice Rat

Oecomys rutilus

French: Oecomys roux / German: Rote Baumreisratte / Spanish: Rata arrocera arboricola roja

Other common names: Reddish Oecomys

Taxonomy. Oecomys rutilus Anthony, 1921, Kartabo, Cuyuni Mazaruni, Guyana.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Extreme E Venezuela (Bolivar State), the Guianas, and NC Brazil.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 71-118 mm, tail 80-125 mm, ear 12-15 mm, hindfoot 19-23 mm; weight 12-34 g. The Red Arboreal Rice Rat is small, with soft, dense, lax, and moderately long fur. Dorsum is rich ocherous tawny (nearly orange brown) and slightly paler along lower sides of head and body, bright buffy gray. Venteris pure white, with hairs white from rootto tip, and sharply demarcated from dorsum. Tailis slightly longer (c.111%) than head-body length, with hairs relatively long and dark brown on surface that conceal distal scale rows; conspicuous terminal pencil is present. Cranially, conspicuous supraorbital ridges (narrowly ledge like) outline interorbital and postorbital regions and sweep back to join distinct temporal ridges. Narrow incisive foramina terminate posteriorly about even with anterior face of M's. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 54, FN = 90 in a population from Rio Negro, Brazil.

Habitat. Primary and secondary forests, including well-drained or swampy sites and creek edges.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Red Arboreal Rice Rats are terrestrial and can climb; they have been caught in pitfall and arboreal traps.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Adler et al. (2012), Carleton & Musser (2015), Catzeflis & Weksler (2016), Gomes et al. (2016), Tirira (2016), Voss et al. (2001).