595.

Colombian Forest Mouse

Chilomys instans

French: Chilomys de Thomas / German: Kolumbien-Waldmaus / Spanish: Raton de bosque de Colombia

Other common names: Andean Chilomys

Taxonomy. Oryzomys instans Thomas, 1895, “Bogota [Bogota],” Cundinamarca, Co-lombia .

Ecuadorean populations exhibit subtle differences suggesting intraspecific variation. Monotypic.

Distribution. Andes, from the three Andean ranges of WC Colombia to NW Peru.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 86-99 mm, tail 105-130 mm, ear 14-18 mm, hindfoot 22-25 mm; weight 15-26 g. Dorsum of the Colombian Forest Mouse is uniform gray to dark brown, with whitish gray tips on hair. Venter is similar in color to dorsum, providing no contrast. Head can be darker in color than body. Ears are medium in size and gray with small hairs.

Habitat. Primary and secondary forests and edges offorest at elevations of 1100-4000 m. The Colombian Forest Mouse prefers areas with dense vegetation near bodies of water. Ecuadorean individuals were trapped at elevations of 3600-3690 m on a mossy log over a stream in Subalpine Rain Forest, on the ground in a narrow runway beneath mossy shrubs in the same habitat, and in a mossy tunnel beneath bunch grass in paramo—forest ecotone.

Food and Feeding. The Colombian Forest Mouse eats seeds, other plant matter, insects, and earthworms.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Colombian Forest Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Colombian Forest Mouse is solitary. It takes refuge in cavities on the forest floor and between fallen trees and moves through small corridors or tunnels that form in vegetation.

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

Bibliography. Aguilera &Tirira (2016), Alberico et al. (2000), Brito & Ojala-Barbour (2016), Brito, Teska & Ojala-Barbour (2015), Linares (1998), Medina et al. (2016), Pacheco (2003, 2015a), Thomas (1895a), Vianché et al. (2012), Voss (2003).