Echimyidae Author Don E. Wilson Author Thomas E. Lacher, Jr Author Russell A. Mittermeier text 2016 2016-07-31 Lynx Edicions Barcelona Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I 552 604 book chapter 67690 10.5281/zenodo.6623649 5be7e52f-9b9c-4c03-99ed-f346bbcde1d0 978-84-941892-3-4 6623649 50. Guianan Spiny-rat Proechimys hoplomyoides French: Rat-épineux du Roraima / German: Guyana-Kurzstachelratte / Spanish: Rata espinosa de Guayana Other common names: Guyanan Spiny-rat Taxonomy. Proechimys cayennensis hoplomyoides Tate, 1939 , “Rondon Camp, Mt. Roraima, 6800 feet [2073 m],” Bolivar, Venezuela . Proechimys hoplomyoides belongs to the trinitatisspecies group. Monotypic. Distribution. S & SE Venezuela, in Amazonian and Guianan Shield tepui areas; possibly also in adjacent areas of W Guyana and N Brazil. Descriptive notes. Head—body 213 mm, tail 154 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Guianan Spiny-rat is moderate to large. Dorsum is blackish brown; fur is heavily spined, with broad and stiff aristiforms. Venter is whitish. Tail is moderately long butstill shorter than head-body length (72%). Skull is relatively long and narrow; supraorbital ledges are weakly developed and do not extend onto temporal region as distinct ridges; incisive foramina are somewhat lyre-shaped with weakly developed posterolateral margins that define grooves extending onto anterior palate; premaxillary part of septum is enlarged, encompassing at least one-half of foraminal opening, but maxillary part is attenuated and does not contact premaxilla; floor of infraorbital foramen is smooth, lacking groove indicative of passage of infraorbital branch of maxillary nerve; and mesopterygoid fossa is narrow and deeply penetrating, extending at least to posterior onehalf of M*. Counterfold pattern is simple, with three folds on each upper and lower tooth; counterfold formula is 3-3—-3-3 for maxillary and mandibular teeth. Baculum is long and relatively narrow (length 11-6 mm, proximal width 2:5 mm, and distal width 0-18 mm in the single specimen available). Karyotype is unknown. Habitat. Known only from evergreen rainforest, including indigenous garden plots and creek-side and riverine forests, at elevations of 130-2300 m. Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species. Breeding. There is no information available for this species. Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Guianan Spiny-rat is presumably terrestrial and nocturnal. Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species. Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Guianan Spiny-rat is known from only six specimens from four separate localities. Additional studies on distribution, habitat, abundance, ecology, and threats to the Guianan Spiny-rat are needed for a proper conservation assessment. Bibliography. Eisenberg (1989), Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Emmons (1990, 1997a), Handley (1976), Linares (1998), Patton (1987), Patton & Leite (2015), Patton & Reig (1989), Tate (1939), Woods & Kilpatrick (2005).