Thalpomys cerradensis Hershkovitz 1990

540.

Common Cerrado Mouse

Thalpomys cerradensis

French: Akodon du Cerrado / German: Cerrado-Feldmaus / Spanish: Raton del Cerrado comun

Other common names: Cerrado Akodont, Cerrado Mouse

Taxonomy. Thalpomys cerradensis Hershkovitz, 1990, Parque Nacional de Brasilia, 1100 m, Distrito Federal, Brazil.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. C Brazil (Mato Grosso, Goias, and Bahia states, and Distrito Federal).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 90-109 mm, tail 51-70 mm, ear 14-17 mm, hindfoot 18-21 mm; weight 26-40 g. The Common Cerrado Mouse is moderately small, with overall pale or bright phaeomelaninic color and well-haired tail ¢.65% of head—body length. Ears are of medium length, rounded, and covered by short hairs on both surfaces. Pes and manus have ungual tufts shorter than claws. The Common Cerrado Mouse is larger than the Hairyeared Cerrado Mouse (1. lasiotis) and has dense and stiff pelage; dorsal surface of head and body is generally tawny; sides of body are paler than back; chin is pale buff; check and eye-ring are ocherous orange; vibrissae are short, extending to bases of ears; tail is brownish above and pale buff below; hindfoot is small and pale buff above, with outer toes short; and claws are c.1 mm. There are three pairs of mammae (one pectoral, one abdominal, and one inguinal). Chromosomal complement is 2n = 36, FN = 34.

Habitat. Open grasslands (“campo limpo”), wet prairies with palms (‘veredas”), and sparsely wooded savannas in Cerrado biome.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Common Cerrado Mouse is more active immediately after sunset and in the last three hours before sunrise. It is terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Common Cerrado Mouse is one of the first to recolonize burned grasslands in the Cerrado, reaching population peaks before two years postfire.

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

Bibliography. Andrade et al. (2004), Bonvicino & Bezerra (2003), Henriques et al. (2006), Hershkovitz (1990a), Marinho-Filho, Bonvicino & Vieira (2008a), Marinho-Filho, Rodrigues & Juarez (2002), Pardinas & Teta (2015c), Vieira & Baumgarten (1995).