Heteromyidae 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 170 233 book chapter 63549 10.5281/zenodo.6611160 113e1a39-7927-463a-9063-26056ff4828d 978-84-941892-3-4 6611160 11. Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse Heteromys teleus French: Souris-a-ajaboues d'Equateur / German: Ecuador-Stacheltaschenmaus / Spanish: Raton espinoso de Ecuador Other common names: Ecuadoran Spiny Pocket Mouse Taxonomy. Heteromys teleus R. P. Anderson & Jarrin-Valladares, 2002 , “Ecuador: Provincia Guayas: Cerro Manglar Alto, western slope.” With the exception of H. desmarestianus in the north-western corner of Colombia, the South American spiny pocket mice all belong to the anomalus species group: H. anomalus , H. catopterius , H. oasicus , H. australis , and H. teleus . Only H. australis exists outside of South America, in eastern Panama. Monotypic. Distribution. CW Ecuador in the W slopes of the Andes (from Rio Esmeraldas and Rio Guayllabamba S to the Cordillera de Chongon-Colonche). Descriptive notes. Head—body mean 135 mm, tail mean 146 mm, ear mean 17 mm, hindfoot mean 38 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. There is no significant secondary sexual dimorphism. The Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse is scansorial and medium-sized for the genus, with coarse adult pelage having abundantstiff, flattened spine-like hairs on dorsal and lateral surfaces of body. Upper parts are dark gray or blackish. There is no buffy lateral line, and belly is white. Ears are small relative to the body size and blackish. Posterior parts of soles of large hindfeet are naked. Tail is moderately haired and moderately bicolored (darker on upper part). Cheekteeth have high crowns, and lower premolar has 3-4 lophids. Chromosomal complement has not been described. The Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouseis virtually indistinguishable externally from the Southern Spiny Pocket Mouse ( H. australis ), with which it comes (or came) into contact in north-western Ecuador. The Ecuadorean species is generally larger, but its parietal width averages less. No overlap in hindfoot length occurs among specimens of any age class (range = 35-40 mm in the Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse and 29-34 mm in the Southern Spiny Pocket Mouse). Habitat. Somewhat dry (but still evergreen) forests in the southernmost extension of the lowland Choco on the western versant of the Andes (vs. wetter habitat of the Southern Spiny Pocket Mouse). The Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse occurs from sea level to elevations of ¢.2000 m. Lowland localities are restricted to areas receiving more than 300 cm of annual precipitation; higher piedmont localities receive less rain (200-300 cm) but are functionally more mesic due to mist and fog from the Pacific Ocean. Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species. Breeding. There is no information available for this species. Activity patterns. The Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial, but it has been observed during daylight hours and is able to climb into small bushes. Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species. Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Distribution of the Ecuadorean Spiny Pocket Mouse is much reduced, with only ¢.13-19% ofits historical distribution still forested. Deforestation and extreme fragmentation due to logging and introduction of oil palms ( Elaeis guineensis, Arecaceae ) are major threats to the species. Bibliography. Anderson (1999, 2003), Anderson & Jarrin-Valladares (2002), Anderson &Tirira (2008), Williams et al. (1993).