Abrothrix

Abrothrix sanborni

The Andes - field mice ( Abrothrix ) are a living in South America rodent genus from the group of New world. They include nine species.

These rodents reach a body length 7-14 cm, the tail is 5-10 inches long. The weight is 15 to 60 grams. Their fur is dark gray or brown on the top, the underside is whitish or light brown. The nose and the whole face can be colored reddish or orange.

Their range extends from the central Peru to Tierra del Fuego. Their habitat are forests, grasslands and wetlands, they come in heights up to 5600 meters in front. From some species it is known that they can dig well and build up underground burrows, others build their nests in crevices or in the roots of trees.

They are omnivorous, taking insects, seeds, fruits and mushrooms to himself. Two or three times a year brings the female one to eight pups.

System

We distinguish nine types:

• Abrothrix andinus is distributed from southern Peru into middle Chile and Argentina.
• Abrothrix hershkovitzi inhabited islands in the extreme south of Chile.
• Abrothrix illuteus is limited to the north-western Argentina.
• Abrothrix jelskii lives in southern Peru, western Bolivia and northwestern Argentina.
• Abrothrix lanosus inhabited the extreme south of Chile and Argentina.
• Abrothrix longipilis occurs in central and southern Chile and Argentina.
• Abrothrix markhami is limited to the south Chilean Wellington Island.
• Abrothrix olivaceus inhabited almost all of Chile and adjacent regions of Argentina.
• Abrothrix sanborni occurs in southern Chile and Argentina.

The systematics of this genus is not without controversy. Three species, A. andinus, A. and A. olivaceus jelskii, sometimes in a separate genus, Chroeomys, out the other sometimes incorporated in Akodon.