Pithecheirops otion, Emmons, 1993

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Muridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 536-884 : 736

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6887260

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6788287

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E30E275-34A1-FF10-E491-24227FB18E9D

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Pithecheirops otion
status

 

371. View Plate 44: Muridae

Bornean Tree Rat

Pithecheirops otion View in CoL

French: Pithécheir de Bornéo / German: Borneo-Affenful’ratte / Spanish: Rata arboricola de Borneo

Other common names: Bornean Pithecheirops, Emmon’s Tree Rat, Wooly Tree Rat

Taxonomy. Pithecheirops otion Emmons, 1993 View in CoL ,

“Malaysia, State of Sabah [northern Borneo]; Danum Valley Field Centre, 4°58’'N, 117°48’E (approximately 75 km W Lahad Datu), elevation about 150 m.”

The monotypic genus Pithecheirops was described in 1993 by L. H. Emmons, who considered it close to Pithecheir in external morphology but distinguished by skull features. P. otion is known only from the type specimen, and there are no genetic data to support its phylogenetic position. In 2015, P. H. Fabre and colleagues placed it next to Pithecheir as a possible member of tribe Pithecheirini . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in N Borneo. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head—body 113 mm, tail 117 mm, ear 15 mm, hindfoot 25 mm; weight 36 g. The holotype is a juvenile male in poor state of preservation. The dark gray-brown dorsal pelage is long and dense, and the underparts are whitish. The robust unicolored tail is naked and partially prehensile;it is slightly longer than headbody length. Feet are broad and have large plantar pads. Skull has a very short rostrum and a long and high braincase, but with small, uninflated tympanic bullae representing 16% of skull length (compared with 20-25% for Pithecheir representatives).

Habitat. Secondary forest (lowland dipterocarp forest selectively logged in 1989) at 150 m altitude.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Bornean Tree Rats are arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List because it is known from a single juvenile individual and population size is unknown. Further work is necessary to collect the species again and to gather ecological data.

Bibliography. Emmons (1993), Fabre et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Muridae

Genus

Pithecheirops

Loc

Pithecheirops otion

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr 2017
2017
Loc

Pithecheirops otion

Emmons 1993
1993
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