Leaf bugs
| Leaf bugs | ||||||||||||
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Darwin eared mouse |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Phyllotis | ||||||||||||
| Waterhouse , 1837 |
The leaf ear mice ( Phyllotis ) are a species of rodent living in South America from the group of the New World mice . The distribution area of these animals extends from Ecuador to Peru and Bolivia to Chile and Argentina . They include 13 types.
features
Leaf ear mice reach a head body length of 7 to 15 centimeters, the tail becomes 5 to 17 centimeters long and the weight is 20 to 100 grams. The name-giving feature is the large, 2 to 3 centimeter long ears. Their fur is gray-brown, yellow-brown or reddish in color on the upper side, the underside is white or light gray.
Habitat and way of life
Leaf-ear mice inhabit savannas, bushlands, deserts and mountain regions and occur at over 5000 meters above sea level. A specimen of the yellow eared ear mouse ( Phyllotis xanthopygus ) was caught in February 2020 on the summit of Llullaillaco at 6,739 meters above sea level , making it the first recorded mammal (besides humans) to have reached such a height.
Their way of life resembles that of the North and Central American white-footed mice and they have occupied similar ecological niches . They use crevices in the rocks, caves in the ground or the abandoned burrows of other animals as shelter. Depending on the species, they can be active at night, at dusk or during the day. Their diet consists of seeds, green parts of plants and lichens.
Systematics
There are 13 types:
- Phyllotis amicus is restricted to western Peru.
- Phyllotis andium occurs in Ecuador and Peru.
- Phyllotis bonariensis lives in eastern Argentina. Since their habitat is used intensively for agriculture, the species may be threatened.
- Phyllotis caprinus inhabits southern Bolivia and northern Argentina.
- Phyllotis darwini lives on the central Chilean coast.
- Phyllotis definitus occurs only in Peru.
- Phyllotis haggardi lives in the Andean regions of Ecuador.
- Phyllotis limatus is widespread from western Peru to northern Chile.
- Phyllotis magister lives in Peru and northern Chile.
- Phyllotis osgoodi lives in northern Chile.
- Phyllotis osilae is distributed from southern Peru to northern Argentina.
- Phyllotis wolffsohni occurs in western Bolivia.
- Phyllotis xanthopygus is distributed from Peru to southern Chile.
The genera Auliscomys , Graomys , Loxodontomys and Paralomys were earlier also incorporated into this genus. Today, together with a few others, they form the Phyllotini tribe within the Sigmodontinae .
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 .
- 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 .
Web links
- Endangerment level of the individual species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
- Mammal sighted for the first time at 6700 meters
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jay F. Storz, Marcial Quiroga-Carmonab, Juan C. Opazo, Thomas Bowen, Matthew Farson, Scott J. Steppan and Guillermo D'Elía: Discovery of the world's highest-dwelling mammal. PNAS, 2020, doi: 10.1073 / pnas.2005265117