South American field mice
| South American field mice | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Akodon | ||||||||||||
| Meyen , 1833 |
The South American field mice or South American grass mice ( Akodon ) are a very species-rich genus of New World mice , whose representatives are omnipresent in South America and are among the most common mammals on the continent.
These mice have a head-to-trunk length between 8 and 14 centimeters, plus a 5 to 10 centimeter tail. They are vole-like in shape , have a stocky body and short legs. The soft fur is gray or brown on top, gray or white on the underside.
Most species live in the grass steppes of the pampas and in low and medium altitudes of the Andes . Only a few species are native to the tropical rainforest . The diet is mainly vegetable, but all species also consume insects as complementary foods.
The Azara grass mouse, a very common species in eastern South America, has been particularly well researched. Her gestation period is 22 days and she has young twice a year. The average litter size is 3.5. The lifespan is only seven to twelve months, with mice born in autumn living significantly longer than those born in spring. Like other species, the Azara grass mouse can transmit the Hanta virus and is considered a grain pest.
Systematics
There is disagreement as to how broad the genus Akodon should be. In some systematics, the genera Abrothrix , Deltamys , Necromys , Thalpomys and Thaptomys , which are considered to be independent , are incorporated. On the other hand, the subgenus Microxus is sometimes given genus status. The following list of species largely follows Wilson & Reeder (2005) and recognizes 42 species.
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without assignment to a sub-genus
- Akodon aerosus inhabits the Andes of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
- Akodon bogotensis lives in Colombia and Venezuela.
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Subgenus Akodon
- Akodon affinis lives in western Colombia.
- Akodon albiventer is widespread from southeastern Peru to northern Argentina.
- Akodon aliquantulus is only found in northwestern Argentina.
- Akodon azarae lives in northern Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil.
- Akodon boliviensis is distributed from southeastern Peru to central Bolivia.
- Akodon cursor lives in southeastern Brazil and possibly northern Argentina.
- Akodon dayi lives in Bolivia.
- Akodon dolores is only known from central Argentina.
- Akodon fumeus is distributed from southeastern Peru to northern Argentina.
- Akodon iniscatus lives in central and southern Argentina.
- Akodon juninensis occurs in central Peru.
- Koford prairie mouse ( Akodon kofordi ) inhabits southeastern Peru and western Bolivia.
- Kotosh prairie mouse ( Akodon kotosh ) is endemic to the Huánuco region of Peru.
- Akodon leucolimnaeus lives in northwest Argentina.
- Akodon lindberghi is native to central and eastern Brazil.
- Akodon lutescens occurs from central Peru to northern Argentina.
- Akodon molinae lives in southern Argentina.
- Akodon mollis lives in Ecuador and Peru.
- Akodon montensis is native to eastern Paraguay, southeastern Brazil, and northeastern Argentina.
- Akodon mystax is only known from the south-east Brazilian mountainous region.
- Akodon neocenus lives in western Argentina.
- Akodon oenos is only known from western Argentina.
- Akodon orophilus lives in central Peru.
- Akodon paranaensis is found in northeast Argentina and southeast Brazil.
- Akodon pervalens is native to southern Bolivia.
- Akodon philipmyersi was only described in 2005 and is only known from northern Argentina.
- Akodon reigi lives in Eastern Uruguay and the neighboring regions of Brazil.
- Akodon sanctipaulensis lives in southeastern Brazil.
- Akodon serrensis is also native to southeastern Brazil.
- Akodon simulator occurs from southern Bolivia to northern Argentina.
- Akodon spegazzinii lives in northwestern Argentina.
- Akodon subfuscus inhabits southern Peru and western Bolivia.
- Akodon surdus is native to southeastern Peru.
- Akodon sylvanus lives in northwest Argentina.
- Akodon toba lives in western Paraguay, southeastern Bolivia and northern Argentina.
- Akodon torques occurs in southeastern Peru.
- Akodon varius is restricted to western Bolivia.
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Subgenus Hypsimys
- Akodon budini lives in southern Bolivia and northern Argentina.
- Akodon siberiae is only known from central Bolivia.
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Subgenus Microxus
- Akodon latebricola lives in northern Ecuador.
- Akodon mimus lives in southeastern Peru and western Bolivia.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Ulyses FJ Pardiñas, Guillermo D'Elía, Sebastián Cirignoli, Pablo Suarez: A new species of Akodon (Rodentia, Cricetidae) from the northern Campos grasslands of Argentina. In: Journal of Mammalogy . Vol. 86, No. 3, 2005, pp. 462-474.
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
