Pundt Comb rat

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Pundt Comb rat
Systematics
Subordination : Porcupine relatives (Hystricomorpha)
Partial order : Hystricognathi
without rank: Guinea Pig Relatives (Caviomorpha)
Family : Comb rats (Ctenomyidae)
Genre : Comb rats ( Ctenomys )
Type : Pundt Comb rat
Scientific name
Ctenomys pundti
Nehring , 1900

The pundt crested rat ( Ctenomys pundti ) is a type of crested rat . The species is endemic in central to northern Argentina , where it has been recorded in the provinces of Córdoba and San Luis .

features

According to the first description of the species from 1900, the Pundt comb rat has a head-trunk length of about 17.0 centimeters with a tail length of about 4.3 centimeters. More recent data indicate a head-torso length of 14.4 to 15.7 centimeters for the males and 13.5 to 13.8 centimeters for the females. The rear foot length with the claw is 20 millimeters. It is one of the smallest species in the genus. The color of the back is yellowish brown, the abdomen is whitish gray. The hair of the back fur is colored blue-gray at the base and yellow-brown in the upper area. The tops of the fore and hind feet are whitish. The tail is two-colored with a dark to black top and a light gray to white underside.

The skull and skeleton are small and delicate, the back of the head is conspicuously rounded with a little pronounced occipital ridge. The upper incisors are slightly protruding ( proodont ). The tympanic membranes are clearly enlarged and strongly rounded on the underside.

The karyotype consists of a double chromosome set of 2n = 50 chromosomes (FN = 84). The sperm are symmetrical.

distribution

The distribution area of ​​the Pundt crested rat is limited to central and northern Argentina , where the species has only been found endemic in the southern areas of the provinces of Córdoba and San Luis .

Way of life

As with most other species of comb rats, very little information is available about the way of life of the pundt crested rat. Like all comb rats, it lives largely underground in duct systems. As a habitat, it uses sandy soils in the grasslands, savannah areas and scrub landscapes of the Argentine pampas and Espinal regions. In a generalist vegetarian manner, it feeds on the available vegetation, especially grass and leaves. The animals are loners (solitary).

Systematics

The Pundt comb rat is classified as an independent species within the genus of the comb rats ( Ctenomys ), which consists of about 70 species. The first scientific description of the species comes from the German zoologist Alfred Nehring from 1900, who described it using individuals from Alejo Ledesma in the province of Córdoba in Argentina. On the basis of molecular biological data, it is assigned to the talarum group around the talas comb rat ( Ctenomys talarum ). Sometimes it was considered a subspecies of the Mendoza crested rat ( Ctenomys mendocinus ).

Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .

Status, threat and protection

The Pundt-comb rat is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The reason given is the very small distribution area with an area of ​​available habitats of less than 76 km 2 , the strong fragmentation of the populations and the decline in the habitats available for the species in the pampa region due to the expansion of agricultural land. This also poses the greatest threat to the species' populations.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Pundt’s Tuco-tuco. In: TRO Freitas: Family Ctenomyidae In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editor): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, p. 523. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4 .
  2. ↑ a b c d Ctenomys pundti in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2019. Posted by: CJ Bidau, 2019. Accessed May 6, 2020th
  3. ↑ a b c Ctenomys pundti . In: 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 .

literature

  • Pundt's Tuco-tuco. In: TRO Freitas: Family Ctenomyidae In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editor): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, p. 523. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4 .

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