Ichthyomys pittieri Handley & Mondolfi 1963

345.

Pittier’s Crab-eating Rat

Ichthyomys pittieri

French: Ichthyomys de Pittier / German: PittierKrabbenratte / Spanish: Rata cangrejera de Pittier

Other common names: Pittier’s Ichthyomyine

Taxonomy. Ichthyomys pittieri Handley & Mondolfi, 1963, near the head of the Rio Limon, Parque Nacional de Rancho Grande, Aragua, Venezuela.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Scattered localities in the Cordillera Central, N Venezuela.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 95-175 mm, tail 80-145 mm, ear 6-12 mm, hindfoot 23-30 mm; weight 38-147 g. Dorsum of Pittier’s Crab-eating Rat is dense, short, and glossy brownish gray. Venter has silver base hairs, gray middle, and white distal part. Mystical vibrissae are long and thick. There are small membranes in the second, third, and fourth digits of hindlegs, with short hairs on dorsal and lateral parts. Tail is unicolored, dark brown, thick, and hairy; distal part and hairs are white.

Habitat. Along small streams or drainage canals in montane cloud forest at elevations of 700-1750 m.

Food and Feeding. Pittier’s Crab-eating Rat eats crabs and aquatic insects.

Breeding. An old Pittier’s Crab-eating Rat had four embryos at the end ofJuly.

Activity patterns. Pittier’s Crab-eating Rat is nocturnal and semi-aquatic.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Pittier’s Crabeating Rat has restricted distribution of ¢.5500 km? in an area threatened by deforestation, cattle grazing, and agriculture. Quality and extent of habitat outside protected areas continues to decline. Due to continuing development in its distribution, the species will soon be exposed to water contamination and pollution.

Bibliography. Aguilera & Ochoa (2008), Garcia, Machado et al. (2012), Handley & Mondolfi (1963), Voss (1988, 2015b).