Talas Comb rat

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Talas 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 : Talas Comb rat
Scientific name
Ctenomys talarum
Thomas , 1898

The Talas comb rat ( Ctenomys talarum ) is a type of comb rats . The species occurs in Argentina in the coastal region of the province of Buenos Aires and in the province of La Pampa .

features

The Talas comb rat reaches a total length of 21.2 to 25.4 centimeters with a tail length of 5.6 to 7.5 centimeters; there is no specific information on weight. It is therefore a comparatively small species of comb rats, whereby the three subspecies are the same in size. The back color is dark hazel brown to grayish red-brown, with the belly side corresponding to the back side. Clear white spots are formed in the armpit area; there are other white spots in the lower area of ​​the ears.

The skull is strong with a short snout region. It is narrower in the area of ​​the mastoid process on the temporal bone than in the area of ​​the zygomatic arches . The penis bone (bacculum) is short and narrow with an average length of about 6.5 millimeters and a thickness of 0.9 to 1.3 millimeters; it is not noticeably thickened at the ends.

The karyotype consists of a double set of chromosomes of 2n = 44 to 48 chromosomes. The sperm are built symmetrically.

distribution

The distribution area of ​​the Talas crested rat is limited to Argentina in the coastal region of the province of Buenos Aires around the city of Buenos Aires and in the province of La Pampa . It occurs in three subspecies, each colonizing different regions.

Way of life

As is the case with most species of crested rats, little information is available about the way of life of the Talas crested rat. Like all crested rats, it lives largely underground in duct systems that it creates in sandy to loamy soils of the coastal dunes and the coastal grasslands. Like most comb rats, it is solitary (solitary) and strictly territorial. An individual always lives alone in a building. The territory of the males is about 50% larger than that of the females, and young animals very quickly colonize burrows of deceased animals that have become vacant. The stand densities can be quite high with more than 200 individuals per hectare.

The animals eat vegetarian food from the available plants, especially grass. The food mainly consists of Bromus unioloides as the dominant grass species in the region. The litter time is in the South American spring and varies from region to region from October to December. The gestation period is on average about 95 to 102 days; the females give birth to an average of four young animals. The young develop rapidly and reach sexual maturity in the mating season after their birth.

Systematics

The Talas 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 zoologist Oldfield Thomas from 1898, who described it on the basis of individuals from Las Talas, Ensenada , near La Plata . Based on molecular biological data, the species is assigned to the talarum species group with other related species . Partly it was assigned to the Mendoza comb rat ( Ctenomys mendocinos ).

Within the species, three subspecies are distinguished with the nominate form :

  • Ctenomys talarum talarum Thomas, 1898 : The nominate form occurs in the dunes of the coast from Necochea to Punta Alta in the southern province of Buenos Aires.
  • Ctenomys talarum antonii Rusconi , 1928 : This subspecies occurs in the coastal areas of the province of Buenos Aires.
  • Ctenomys talarum occidentalis Justo , 1992 : This subspecies lives in the province of La Pampa.

There are also populations in the province of Buenos Aires that have not yet been assigned to any subspecies. Justo et al. 2003 and Wilson & Reeder 2005 also introduced Ctenomys talarum recessus Thomas, 1912 as a further subspecies.

Status, threat and protection

The Talas Comb rat is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered (“least concern”) due to its comparatively large distribution area and the assumed large populations . There are no known risks to the existence of this species.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Talas 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 Ctenomys talarum . 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 .
  3. ^ A b Enrique R. Justo, Luciano JM De Santis, Marta S. Kin: Ctenomys talarum. Mammalian Species 730, December 18, 2003; Pp. 1-5. ( Full text )
  4. ↑ a b Ctenomys talarum in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2020. Posted by: C. Bidau, 2016. Accessed June 6, 2020.

literature

  • Talas 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 .
  • Enrique R. Justo, Luciano JM De Santis, Marta S. Kin: Ctenomys talarum. Mammalian Species 730, December 18, 2003; Pp. 1-5. ( Full text )

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