Thomasomys daphne Thomas 1917

662.

Daphne’s Oldfield Mouse

Thomasomys daphne

French: Thomasomys daphné / German: Daphne-Paramomaus / Spanish: Raton de erial de Daphne

Other common names: Daphne's Thomasomys

Taxonomy. Thomasomys daphne Thomas, 1917, “Ocobamba Valley, 9,100 feet [= 2774 m],” Cusco, Peru.

Thomasomys daphne probably represents at least two species, but additonal taxonomic research is needed. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Andean slopes from S Peru to N Bolivia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 88-109 mm, tail 133 mm (mean), ear 16 mm (mean), hindfoot 23-27 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Dorsum of Daphne’s Oldfield Mouse is dull brownish, and flanks are almost as dark as dorsum. Ears are brown and do not contrast markedly with head. Venteris slaty gray. Mystacial vibrissae are moderately long and extended slightly beyond posterior margin of pinnae when bent. Hindfootis slender and pale brown. Tail is 106-166% of head—body length, unicolored brown, and covered by inconspicuous scales; white tip is not present on most individuals.

Habitat. Montane forest, primary and secondary forest and disturbed cloud forest, at elevations of 2000-3540 m. Daphne’s Oldfield Mouse occurs on the ground in dense understory and among clumps of bunch grasses in open areas.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Daphne’s Oldfield Mouse is widely distributed, presumably has a large overall population, and is unlikely to be declining enough to be listed in a threatened category. Nevertheless, some populations are threatened by deforestation, fragmentation, and agriculture.

Bibliography. Anderson (1997), Pacheco (2003, 2015b, 2016f), Pacheco et al. (2009), Patton (1986), Salazar Bravo & Yates (2007), Voss (1988, 2003).