Pattonomys punctatus (Thomas, 1899)

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Echimyidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 552-604 : 592

77.

Orinocan Speckled Tree-rat

Pattonomys punctatus

French: Rat-épineux ponctué / German: Orinoco-Tupfelbaumratte / Spanish: Rata arboricola del Orinoco

Taxonomy. Loncheres punctatus Thomas, 1899 ,

“Caicara, Orinoco,” Bolivar, Ven-ezuela .

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Middle Orinoco River Basin in C Venezuela.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 236 mm, tail 233 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Orinocan Speckled Tree-rat is one of the largest species of Pattonomys . Fur is spiny, with wide spines reaching 20 mm over back. Overall color is pale gray, with whitish speckles and rufous tint due to hairs with reddish tips but gray bases. Spines on rump are grayish, white basally and tipped with white. Fur on head is coarsely mixed black and white; ears are covered with fine black hairs around their edges, with small tuft of whitish hairs on antitragus and distinct white post-auricular patch. Venter is white, sharply contrasting from gray flanks. Inner surfaces of thighs are white, and outer ones are gray. Forefeet and hindfeet are gray above, with hindfeet white along medial margins; toes are white. Tail is 96-99% of head-body length, thinly haired with visible scales, and uniformly brown from base to tip, only slightly paler below. Skull has nasals equal in length to premaxillary processes, flattened frontal region, broadly expanded supraoccipital ridges, and narrow rather than spatulate hamular processes. Based on the few available specimens, cranial dimensions of the Orinocan Speckled Tree-rat appear to be largest among species of Pattonomys .

Habitat. Mainly tropical dry forests in the upper Los Llanos of the central Orinoco Basin from sea level to elevations of ¢.100 m (based on only a few known localities).

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Orinocan Speckled Tree-rat is probably herbivorous.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Orinocan Speckled Tree-rat is reportedly nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Additional studies on distribution, habitat, ecology, abundance, and conservation threats to Orinocan Speckled Tree-rat are needed.

Bibliography. Eisenberg (1989), Emmons (1990, 1997a, 2005), Patton et al. (2015), Tate (1935, 1939), Thomas (1899b), Trouessart (1904), Woods (1993), Woods & Kilpatrick (2005).

Figures

12. Broad-headed Spiny-rat (Clyomys laticeps), 13. Guiara (Euryzygomatomys spinosus), 14. White-spined Spiny-rat (Irinomys albispinus), 15. Elias’s Spiny-rat (Trinomys eliasi), 16. Rigid-spined Atlantic Spiny-rat (Trinomys paratus), 17. Yonenaga’s Spiny-rat (Trinomys yonenagae), 18. Elegant-spined Atlantic Spiny-rat (Trinomys setosus), 19. Moojen’s Spiny-rat (Trinomys moojeni), 20. Pau Brasil Spiny-rat (Trinomys mirapitanga), 21. Rio de Janeiro Spiny-rat (Trinomys dimidiatus), 22. Sao Paulo Spiny-rat (Trinomys thering), 23. Gracile Atlantic Spiny-rat (Trinomys gratiosus), 24. Sao Lourenco Punare (Thrichomys laurentius), 25. Jacobina Punare (Thrichomys inermis), 26. Lagoa Santa Punare (Thrichomys apereoides), 27. Pantanal Punare (Thrichomys pachyurus), 28. Foster’s Punare (Thrichomys fosteri), 29. Painted Tree-rat (Callistomys pictus), 30. Coypu (Myocastor coypus), 31. Armored Rat (Hoplomys gymnurus)

Distribution. Middle Orinoco River Basin in C Venezuela.