Mammalian Diversity And Matses Ethnomammalogy In Amazonian Peru Part 5. Rodents
Author
Voss, Robert S.
Author
Fleck, David W.
Author
Jansa, Sharon A.
text
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History
2019
2024-04-18
2024
466
1
180
http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5414895
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.5414895
0003-0090
Scolomys ucayalensis
Pacheco, 1991
VOUCHER MATERIAL (
N
= 16): Jenaro Herrera (
AMNH
276715; MUSM 5474 [
holotype
], 23820, 23821), Nuevo San Juan (
AMNH
272668, 272686, 272697, 272706, 272708, 272721; MUSM 13356, 13357, 13358, 13359, 13360, 13361). Although we have not examined the specimens that
Medina et al. (2015)
reported from Quebrada Lobo, Quebrada Betilia, Quebrada Pantaleón, and Quebrada Sábalo, we assume that they were correctly identified by comparisons with
S. melanops
, which those authors also reported from the latter three sites. Additional material, possibly corresponding to this species, was reported by
Valqui (2001)
from
San Pedro
, but we have not seen his specimens.
FIG. 36. Lateral mandibular views of
Scolomys melanops
(
A
, MUSM 23822) and
S. ucayalensis
(
B
, MUSM 13360). Vertical arrows indicate the position of the lower incisor root. Note that the mental foramen (
mf
) is laterally exposed in
S. ucayalensis
but it is usually concealed in
S. melanops
.
UNVOUCHERED OBSERVATIONS: None.
IDENTIFICATION: The type locality of
Scolomys ucayalensis
is Jenaro Herrera, and neither the topotypic material we examined nor any of our specimens from Nuevo
San Juan
differ in any essential feature from the subadult
holotype
. Additionally, our direct comparisons of this Peruvian material with
seven paratypes
(
MVZ
183165–183171) of
S. juruaense
Patton and da Silva, 1995
, support the conclusion of
Gómez-Laverde et al. (2004)
that the latter name is a junior synonym. Diagnostic differences between this species and sympatric
S. melanops
are described in the preceding account.
Although specimens identified as
Scolomys ucayalensis
have been reported from scattered localities north of the Amazon by various authors (e.g.,
Gómez-Laverde et al., 2004
;
Brito and Arguero, 2012
;
Díaz, 2020
), we have not personally examined any, and some of these identifications do not seem plausible. For example, the Ecuadorean specimens reported as
S. ucayalensis
by
Brito and Arguero (2012)
appear to be
S. melanops
based on the accompanying cranial photographs and measurements (especially least interorbital breadth). As mentioned previously, molecular data and karyotypes would provide welcome support for species recognition in future revisionary research with
Scolomys
.
ETHNOBIOLOGY: The Matses do not recognize this species and so have no particular beliefs about it.
MATSES NATURAL HISTORY: The Matses have no definite knowledge of this species.
REMARKS:
Fifteen specimens
of
Scolomys ucayalensis
are accompanied by habitat data from our region. Twelve of these (80%) were taken at Nuevo San Juan in Sherman traps set on the ground in a variety of sheltered situations (under fallen trunks, inside hollow logs, beneath leafy understory vegetation, etc.) in well-drained primary forest on hillcrests, on hillsides, and in moist valley bottoms.
Two specimens
captured in pitfalls at Jenaro Herrera, however, were taken in swampy primary forest and another was taken in a pitfall in secondary vegetation at the same locality. In western
Brazil
,
Patton et al. (2000)
captured
23 specimens
, all of them on the ground in primary well-drained (terra firme) forest.