Thomasomys

The Paramo mice ( Thomasomys ) are a living in northwestern South America rodent genus of the group of the New world. They comprise approximately 35 species.

Features

These rodents reach a body length 9-23 cm, the tail is 9-33 inches. The weight is depending on the type 60-340 grams. Their fur is soft, its color varies from red-brown to olive-gray on gray black, the underside is usually brighter. The tail is relatively long and hairy.

Dissemination and lifestyle

Paramo mice living in northwestern South America, their range extends from Venezuela and Colombia to Ecuador Peru and Bolivia. They live in forests as well as in the vegetation zone of the Paramo and coming up in 4200 meters height before.

Little is known about the way of life, in addition to tree-dwelling, there are ground-dwelling species.

According to IUCN, none of the species is threatened, this item is deprecated and is based on the lack of knowledge of many species.

The types

The exact number of species and their systematic classification is unknown, the genus needs to be revised. Wilson & Reeder (2005) lists the following 36 species:

• Thomasomys apecoist known only from northern Peru. It is the largest species was only discovered in 1993.
• Thomasomys aureus is widespread from Venezuela to Peru.
• Thomasomys baeops inhabited the western Ecuador.
• Thomasomys bombycinus lives in northern Colombia.
• Thomasomys caudivarius occurs in central and southern Ecuador.
• Thomasomys cinereiventer is native to southern Colombia.
• Thomasomys cinereus lives in northern Peru.
• Thomasomys cinnameus inhabited northern Ecuador.
• Thomasomys daphne is distributed from southern Peru to western Bolivia.
• Thomasomys eleusis occurs in northern Peru.
• Thomasomys erro inhabited northern Ecuador.
• Thomasomys gracilis lives in southern Peru.
• Thomasomys hudsoni is limited to the southern Ecuador.
• Thomasomys hylophilus inhabited the eastern Colombia and western Venezuela.
• Thomasomys incanus lives in central Peru.
• Thomasomys ischyrus is widespread in northern and central Peru.
• Thomasomys kalinowskii inhabited the central Peru.
• Thomasomys ladewi lives in northwestern Bolivia.
• Thomasomys laniger is found in Colombia and Venezuela.
• Thomasomys macrotis was only discovered in 1993 and is limited to the northern Peru.
• Thomasomys monochromos lives in northern Colombia.
• Thomasomys niveipes is located in the central Colombia.
• Thomasomys notatus inhabited southeastern Peru.
• Thomasomys onkiro was discovered only in 2002 and lives in Southeastern Peru.
• Thomasomys oreas lives in southern Peru and western Bolivia.
• Thomasomys paramorum occurs in Ecuador.
• Thomasomys popayanus inhabited southern Colombia.
• Thomasomys praetor lives in northwestern Peru.
• Thomasomys pyrrhonotus is native to southern Ecuador and northern Peru.
• Thomasomys rhoadsi occurs in northern Ecuador.
• Thomasomys rosalinda lives in northern Peru.
• Thomasomys silvestris inhabited northern Ecuador.
• Thomasomys taczanowskii is known from northern Peru and western Bolivia, the exact distribution is unclear.
• Thomasomys ucucha was first described in 2003 and lives in northern Ecuador.
• Thomasomys vestitus lives in western Venezuela.
• Thomasomys vulcani inhabited Ecuador.

Together with the also living in the Andes of northern South America genera Colombian wood mouse ( Chilomys ), Andean mice ( Aepeomys ) and climbing mice ( Rhipidomys ) they form the tribe of Thomasomyini. With living in Southeast Brazil genres such as the Atlantic forest rats ( Delomys ) they are unlikely to be closely related, contrary to earlier assumptions.