Chilomys instans (Thomas 1895)

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Cricetidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 955-1189 : 1110

Chilomys instans (Thomas 1895)

[Oryzomys] instans Thomas 1895 , Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, 16: 368.

Type Locality: Colombia, Cundinamarca Dept. , Bogotá region, Hacienda de La Selva, 4600 ft (1402 m).

Vernacular Names: Andean Chilomys.

Synonyms: Chilomys fumeus Osgood 1912 .

Distribution: N Andes, from C Ecuador (Musser et al., 1998:106), through C and N Colombia, to W Venezuela ( Handley, 1976; Linares, 1998).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Osgood (1912) described fumeus (type locality: Colombia, Norte de Santander, Páramo de Tamá) as a species distinct from C. instans ; however, Cabrera (1961) relegated it to subspecific status, as also observed by Linares (1998), and the genus has thereafter been viewed as monotypic (e.g., Corbet and Hill, 1991; Honacki et al., 1982; Musser and Carleton, 1993). Osgood’s employment of subspecies was especially robust so that he chose to diagnose fumeus as a species is by itself instructive. In view of the other valid species described from the Páramo de Tamá region (e.g., Oligoryzomys griseolus , Thomasomys hylophilus ), the status of fumeus invites another appraisal.