336.

Montane Fish-eating Rat

Neusticomys monticolus

French: Ichthyomys de montagne / German: Gebirgs-Fischratte / Spanish: Rata pescadora de montana

Other common names: Montane | chthyomyine

Taxonomy. Neusticomys monticolus Anthony, 1921, Nono Farm “San Francisco” (about 16 km NNE of the summit of Volcan Pichincha), Pichincha, Ecuador.

Neusticomys monticolus is the type species of the genus. Monotypic.

Distribution. W Andean slopes of Colombia and Ecuador.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 95-211 mm, tail 87-114 mm, ear 811 mm, hindfoot 24-26 mm; weight 75 g. Dorsum of the Montane Fish-eating Rat is dull gray or black, contrasting slightly with paler venter. Oral margins and at least some lowermost mystacial vibrissae are usually silvery. Hindfoot is narrow, with poorly developed border ofstiff hairs. Ears are visible above pelage of head. Tail is less than or equal to head-body length, and variations in color oftail include white or partially bicolored tips. Young and old individuals have similar pelage.

Habitat. Forest and paramo ecosystems probably at elevations of 1800-3800 m. The Montane Fish-eating Ratis found near small streams of crystalline waters less than 1 m wide and 5-10 cm deep in primary and secondary mountain forests.

Food and Feeding. The Montane Fish-eating Rat mainly eats aquatic insects, including larval and nymphs stages.

Breeding. A female was collected in the early wet season (mid-May) with two large embryos.

Activity patterns. Montane Fish-eating Rats are semi-aquatic.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Colombia, a Montane Fish-eating Rat was reportedly eaten by a Crab-eating Fox (Cerdocyon thous).

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

Bibliography. Anthony (1921, 1929), Delgado (2009), Goémez-Laverde & Delgado (2008), Ochoa & Soriano (1991), Voss (1988, 2015b).