575.

Unicolored Grass Mouse

Akodon caenosus

French: Akodon terreux / German: Einfarbige Graslandmaus / Spanish: Raton campestre unicolor

Other common names: Unicolored Akodont

Taxonomy. Akodon puer caenosus Thomas, 1918, Leon, 1500 m, Jujuy, Argentina.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. SC Bolivia to NW Argentina .

Descriptive notes. Head—body 78-94 mm, tail 46-75 mm, ear 12-15 mm, hindfoot 20-26 mm; weight 10-5-27-5 g (mean 19 g). The Unicolored Grass Mouse is a small species of Akodon . Dorsal color is uniform along body but can be highly variable within and among populations, typically ocherous brown but with yellowish, rufous, or olivaceous casts, and almost always dark; venter is whitish gray, buffy gray, yellowish, or even ruddy, clearly contrasting with dorsum; few white hairs may be present on chin but do not form conspicuous patch; tail is strongly bicolored, dorsally blackish brown and ventrally whitish or buffy.

Habitat. Yungas and Chacoan environments and lower elevational limits of high Andean grasslands at elevations of 400-3100 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Most reproductive activity of Unicolored Grass Mice occurs in November— January. Highest proportion of shedding individuals was found in autumn and winter.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Anderson (1997), Barquez et al. (1980), Diaz & Barquez (2007), Jayat, Ortiz & Miotti (2008), Jayat, Ortiz, Salazar-Bravo et al. (2010), Mares et al. (1997), Myers et al. (1990).