Sphiggurus F. Cuvier 1825

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Erethizontidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 1545-1550 : 1548

Sphiggurus F. Cuvier 1825

Sphiggurus F. Cuvier 1825 , Dentes des Mammiferes: 256.

Type Species: Hystrix spinosa F. Cuvier 1823

Synonyms: Cercolabes Brandt 1835 ; Sinethere F. Cuvier 1822 ; Sinotherus F. Cuvier 1825 ; Synetheres G. Cuvier 1829 .

Species and subspecies: 9 species with 3 subspecies:

Species Sphiggurus ichillus Voss and da Silva 2001

Species Sphiggurus insidiosus ( Olfers 1818)

Species Sphiggurus melanurus Wagner 1842

Species Sphiggurus mexicanus ( Kerr 1792)

Subspecies Sphiggurus mexicanus subsp. mexicanus Kerr 1792

Subspecies Sphiggurus mexicanus subsp. laenatus Thomas 1903

Subspecies Sphiggurus mexicanus subsp. yucataniae Thomas 1902

Species Sphiggurus pruinosus Thomas 1905

Species Sphiggurus roosmalenorum Voss and da Silva 2001

Species Sphiggurus spinosus (F. Cuvier 1823)

Species Sphiggurus vestitus Thomas 1899

Species Sphiggurus villosus (F. Cuvier 1823)

Discussion: This genus possibly dates from F. Cuvier, 1823. Mem. Mus. Hist. Hat. Paris, 9:427, 433-435, where Sphiggurus seems only a French name "Sphiggure" except on pp. 433-434, where it is abbreviated " S. spinosa ". Formerly included in Coendou by Cabrera (1961), Walker et al. (1975), and Hall (1981); see also comments under Coendou . Considered a distinct genus by Husson (1978:484-490). Voss and Angermann (1997) agreed with the conclusion of Handley and Pine (1992) that Sphiggurus could not be meaningfully diagnosed as a taxon distinct from Coendou . Bonvicino et al. (2000) suggested that Coendou and Sphiggurus represent distinct lineages that have evolved by different chromosomal mechanisms. Sphiggurus appears to have evolved by Robertsonian mechanisms and demonstrates variation in 2n ranging from 42 to 72 while retaining a FN=76 (Bonvicino et al., 2000). The Robertsonian pattern of chromosomal differentiation and molecular data ( Bonvicino et al., 2002 a) tentatively supports the distinction of Sphiggurus from Coendou . Woods (1984, 1993) and Nowak (1991) followed Husson (1978) and recognized Sphiggurus as distinct from Coendou . Emmons and Feer (1990:201) recognized Coendou [ Sphiggurus ] sneiderni , the White-fronted Hairy Dwarf Porcupine from Cauca Department of Colombia, which is apparently known from only one specimen, but this species is not recognized here, and is tentatively placed in the synonymy of Echinoprocta following Cabrera (1961).