Octodon lunatus, Osgood, 1943
|
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6615351 |
|
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6612402 |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E53F663E-FFE1-FFDC-FA97-F658FB04FD5B |
|
treatment provided by |
Carolina |
|
scientific name |
Octodon lunatus |
| status |
|
9. View On
Coastal Degu
French: Octodon a dents de lune / German: Kistendegu / Spanish: Degu de costa
Other common names: Moon-toothed Degu
Taxonomy. Octodon lunatus Osgood, 1943 View in CoL ,
“Olmue, Province of Valparaiso, Chile.”
M. Tamayo and D. Frassinetti in 1980 included O. lunatus in O. bridgesii . The two are very similar and hard to distinguish, but O. lunatus has a karyotype distinct from O. bridgesii. Monotypic.
Distribution. Chile’s Coastal Mountain Range W of the Central Valley, from Bosque Fray Jorge National Park (Coquimbo Region) to Quilpué (Valparaiso Region). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head—body 167-221 mm, tail length 152-161 mm; weight averaging 233 g. Proportions and color of the Coastal Degu are similar to Bridges’s Degu (O. bridgesii). Tail of the Coastal Degu is straight and shorter than head-body length (45% ofits total length), with a terminal brush. Ears are large. Pelage is dense and is a uniform ocher-brown, with white spots under axillary and inguinal parts. Chromosome complement is 2n = 78, FN = 114.
Habitat. Rocky areas with dense scrublands and small forests along the coast from sea level to 1200 m.
Food and Feeding. The Coastal Degu is mainly herbivorous and eats leaves, seeds, grass, and small amount of insects. In Tiltil (Santiago Metropolitan Region), diet is 75% plant tissue, 23% seeds, and 2% insects.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. Apparently the Coastal Degu has variable activity patterns. Some authors reported crepuscular-nocturnalactivity, while others studies suggested diurnal activity.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Coastal Degu was classified as Vulnerable in 2008. Major threat is loss of habitat from agricultural expansion and livestock grazing.
Bibliography. Iriarte (2008), Lessa et al. (2010), Munoz-Pedreros (2000), Munoz-Pedreros & Yanez (2009), Osgood (1943), Spotorno et al. (1995), Tamayo & Frassinetti (1980), Woods & Kilpatrick (2005).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
