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 624. Dressy Oldfield Mouse Thomasomys vestitus French: Thomasomys velu / German: Schone Paramomaus / Spanish: Raton de erial vistoso Other common names: Dressy Thomasomys , Merida Thomasomys Taxonomy. Oryzomys wvestitus Thomas, 1898 , “Rio Milla, Merida [ Mérida ], 1630 m ,” Venezuela . This species is monotypic. Distribution. Endemic to Cordillera de Mérida in W Venezuela. Descriptive notes. Head-body 138-141 mm, tail 169 mm, ear 17-21 mm, hindfoot 33-33-3 mm; weight 67-5 g. Fur of the Dressy Oldfield Mouse is long, soft, and woolly. Dorsum is grizzled fuscous gray, more rufous posteriorly, and head is grayish. Underparts are uniformly grayish, washed with dull buff and not countershaded relative to dorsum. Ears are thinly haired and pale brown. Hands are dull whitish above. Tail is unicolored pale brown and well-haired; terminal white tip is absent. Mystacial vibrissae are moderately long, extending slightly beyond posterior margin of pinnae when bent. Hindfootis dull whitish above. Hallux is moderately long, with claw not extending more than about one-half the length of first phalanx of second digit. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 44 and FN = 42. Habitat. Very dense evergreen montane cloud forests, with 2-3 structural layers and well-developed understory with abundant epiphytes, at elevations of 1600-2500 m. One Dressy Oldfield Mouse was trapped under a mossy log on damp ground and another on a log over a small stream. Food and Feeding. The Dressy Oldfield Mouse eats small fruits, plant material, and insects. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. The Dressy Oldfield Mouse is nocturnal and probably arboreal. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Bibliography. Aguilera et al. (2000), Gutiérrez et al. (2015), Handley (1976), Linares (1998), Pacheco (2003, 2015b), Rivas et al. (2008), Thomas (1898d).