200.

Nicaraguan Woodrat

Neotoma chrysomelas

French: Néotoma du Nicaragua / German: Nicaragua-Buschratte / Spanish: Rata de bosque de Nicaragua

Taxonomy. Neotoma chrysomelas J. A. Allen, 1908, “ Matagalpa, [Matagalpa], Nicaragua.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Honduras and NW Nicaragua.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 184-220 mm, tail 150-181 mm, hindfoot 33— 36 mm, ear 25-30 mm; weight 152-187 g. The Nicaraguan Woodrat is similar in appearance to the Mexican Woodrat (NN. mexwcana). It differs in some skull characteristics and tends to be more orangish as is the Guatemala Woodrat (N. ferruginea). Skull has zygomata (bony arches of the cheeks) that spread posteriorly, narrowing more anteriorly, and are less parallel than in the Mexican Woodrat.

Habitat. Rocky areas in remnant pine ( Pinus, Pinaceae) and oak ( Quercus, Fagaceae) forests. The Nicaraguan Woodrat is only known from high-elevation regions (c.1000 m) of Sierra Madre in Honduras and Cordillera Isabella in Nicaragua.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Pregnant female Nicaraguan Woodrats were captured in February and September; each female had a single embryo.

Activity patterns. The Nicaraguan Woodrat is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The endemic Nicaraguan Woodratis rarely encountered, but it does occur in protected areas.

Bibliography. Allen (1908), Goldman (1910), Hall (1981), Reid (1997).