Coendou rufescens (Gray, 1865)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6603219 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6603308 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/7347878F-8F36-3E43-FAA2-F381FB83FE24 |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Coendou rufescens |
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5. View Plate 23: Erethizontidae
Stump-tailed Porcupine
French: Coendou rougeatre / German: Kurzschwanz-Greifstachler / Spanish: Puercoespin de cola corta
Other common names: Short-tailed Porcupine
Taxonomy. Erethizon (Echinoprocta) rufescens Gray, 1865 ,
“Columbia [= Colombia].”
For a long time, C. rufescens was in the monotypic genus Echinoprocta. Phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome-b sequence data supports inclusion of rufescensin Coendou and indicates that it is the sister taxon to C. quichua in a clade that also includes C. mexicanus. Monotypic.
Distribution. All three Andean ranges in C & S Colombia and S throughout both slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes to N Peru (Lambayeque Region), also a disjunct population in N Bolivia (Cochabamba Department). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 309-370 mm, tail 105-150 mm, ear 17 mm, hindfoot 60-67 mm; no specific data available for body weight. The Stump-tailed Porcupine is medium-sized and medium brown to black. It lacks emergent fur and thus appears spiny. Dorsal pelage has mostly tricolored quills, with brownish or reddish tips. There is usually some white on face. Frontal sinuses are not inflated, and roof of external auditory meatus is smooth. There is a naked, calloused patch of skin on dorsal surface of tip of tail, suggesting prehension as in other Neotropical porcupines. Tail length averages 40% of head-body length. Defensive quills at base of tail and on rump are bicolored, yellow at bases, and darkly pigmented on distal 20 mm. Venteris pale brown and spiny.
Habitat. Collected from seasonally dry forests at elevations of 800-3500 m, with most records clustered at 1500-3000 m.
Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Echinoprocta rufescens).
Bibliography. Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Voss (2011, 2015), Voss et al. (2013).
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.
