Olalla finger rats
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Olallamys albicauda , drawing by Joseph Smit |
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| Olallamys | ||||||||||||
| Emmons , 1988 |
The Olalla finger rats ( olallamys ) are a genus of the subfamily Dactylomyinae in the family echimyidae (Echimyidae). The genus contains two species that occur in northern South America . Albert Günther originally chose Thrinacodus as the generic name. However, this name was used earlier in zoology for an extinct shark genus, which is why the rodent genus had to be renamed ( homonymy ).
There are the following types:
- Olallamys albicauda , with two populations in northwestern Colombia .
- Olallamys edax , in Venezuela south of Lake Maracaibo .
Like all members of the subfamily Dactylomyinae, the Olalla finger rats have a soft fur without spines, which distinguishes them from other spiny rats. The top is red or yellow-brown and the belly is whitish, sometimes with yellow shades. The tail is also hairy and in Olallamys albicauda white on the underside and in the rear part. The Olallamys species reach a head-trunk length of 18 to 24 cm and a tail length of 25 to 35 cm. The third and fourth fingers / toes on the hands and feet are slightly elongated.
The Olalla finger rats colonize mountains at altitudes between 2000 and 3200 meters. They live in the thick undergrowth of the forests, which is often dominated by bamboo . From olallamys edax is known to be active at night and climbs in the undergrowth. Olallamys albicauda is among other things hunted by the crab fox ( Cerdocyon thous ).
The IUCN lists both types in the category “insufficient data” ( data deficient ).
Reference 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 .
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 2. 6th edition. 1999, p. 1700.
- ↑ a b Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Olallamys ).
- ↑ a b Olallamys in the IUCN 2012 Red List of Threatened Species . Accessed March 30, 2014.
