395.

Brazilian Arboreal Rice Rat

Oecomys paricola

French: Oecomys du Para / German: Brasilien-Baumreisratte / Spanish: Rata arrocera arboricola de Brasil

Other common names: Brazilian Oecomys

Taxonomy. Rhipidomys paricola Thomas, 1904, “Igarapé-Assu, near Para,” Brazil.

Taxonomic revision of O. paricola at integrative level is needed. Monotypic.

Distribution. Amazonian Brazil S of Amazon River and NE Peru (Loreto Department); range limits uncertain.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 101-117 mm, tail 117-139 mm, ear 16 mm, hindfoot 22-25 mm; weight 37-4 g. The Brazilian Arboreal Rice Rat is small, with thick, silky, and long (8-10 mm) dorsal pelage of ocherous brown to rich dark brownish red. Flanks tend to be paler. Venteris dull grayish white, showing more whitish on throat, neck, and chest in some specimens. Tail is dark brown, with caudal hairs lengthen over distal one-half of tail, obscuring scale rows; terminal pencil is modest. Cranium has blunt rostrum, well-defined supraorbital ridges, and typical cuneate interorbital constriction. Moderately long and wide incisive foramina terminate anterior to M's in most specimens. Skull typically lacks alisphenoid struts and retains short, narrow subsquamosal fenestrae. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 68 and 70, FN = 72 and 76 in populations at the mouth of the Amazon River.

Habitat. Primary lowland forest.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. In Peru, one male Brazilian Arboreal Rice Rat had abdominaltestes in April.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Carleton & Musser (2015), Hice & Velazco (2012), Percequillo, Bonvicino et al. (2008), Rosa (2015), Rosa et al. (2012).