Cricetidae
Author
Don E. Wilson
Author
Russell A. Mittermeier
Author
Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
text
2017
2017-11-30
Lynx Edicions
Barcelona
Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II
204
535
book chapter
80832
10.5281/zenodo.6707142
ab66b2b7-9544-4411-bf61-5bc3651d7bca
978-84-16728-04-6
6707142
564.
White-bellied Grass Mouse
Akodon albiventer
French:
Akodon a ventre blanc
/
German:
\Weil3bauch-Graslandmaus
/
Spanish:
Raton campestre de vientre blanco
Other common names:
\
White-bellied Akodont
Taxonomy.
Akodon albiventer Thomas, 1897
,
“Lower Cachi.” Clarified byJ. P.Jayat and colleagues in 2010 as lower course of the Cachi River, which passes through the town of Cachi,
Salta
,
Argentina
.
Treatment of A. berlepschii as a synonym of A.
albiventer
deserves additional research. Monotypic.
Distribution.
SE Peru through SW Bolivia and extreme NE Chile to NW
Argentina
.
Descriptive notes.
Head—body 86-109 mm, tail 69-77 mm, ear 13-13-5 mm, hindfoot 20-22 mm; weight 21-36 g. The White-bellied Grass Mouse is a small species of
Akodon
. Dorsum is pale grizzled grayish, contrasting with snowy white venter. Eyes have whitish eye-rings; ears have few whitish hairs that
form indistinct
post-auricular spots; dorsal surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are pure white; and tail is short, well-haired, brown above and white on sides and below.
Habitat.
Open grasslands at high Andean environments and disturbed and cultivated areas at elevations of 2350-4500 m (most localities 3000-4500 m).
Food and Feeding.
The White-bellied Grass Mouse eats invertebrates (mainly insects), grass, and mycorrhizal spores.
Breeding.
Pregnancy of the White-bellied Grass Mouse probably occurs in late July. Lactating and pregnant females were trapped in February-March and December. Shedding individuals were collected in February—March, June, and December. Young individuals were observed in January-June.
Activity patterns.
The White-bellied Grass Mouse is terrestrial, diurnal, and solitary.
Movements, Home range and Social organization.
No information.
Status and Conservation.
Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red Lust.
Bibliography.
Alvarez (2016), Anderson (1997), Diaz & Barquez (2007), Dunnum, Vargas, Bernal, Zeballos, Vivar, Patterson, Pardinas & Jayat (2016), Jayat et al. (2010), Mann (1978), Pardinas, Teta, Alvarado-Serrano et al. (2015), Pearson (1951a), Pine et al. (1979).