Geoxus annectens

683.

Large Long-clawed Mouse

Geoxus annectens

French: Géoxus de Patterson / German: GrofRe Langkrallenmaus / Spanish: Ratén topo grande

Other common names: Pearson's Long-clawed Akodont, Pearson's Longclawed Mouse

Taxonomy. Pearsonomys annectens Patterson, 1992, near Mehuin, Region de Los Lagos, Valdivia, Chile.

Geoxus annectens is the type species of the genus Pearsonomys named by B. D. Patterson in 1992, now considered ajunior synonym of Geoxus. Monotypic.

Distribution. Coastal Range, C Chile.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 108-126 mm, tail 71-82 mm, ear 17-20 mm, hindfoot 25-30 mm; weight 42-61 g. Males are slightly larger than females in body size. The Large Long-clawed Mouse is the largest known species of Geoxus, characterized by its comparatively large ears, long tail, and long hindfoot. Fur is hispid and coarse. Overall, color varies from entirely blackish or dark brown to blackish on dorsum and buffy on venter. Tail is densely furred and uniformly brown. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 56, FN = 62.

Habitat. Southern beech (Nothofagus spp., Nothofagaeae) forest remnants with mountain bamboo (Chusquea spp., Poaceae) and Valdivian temperate rainforest remnants and highly fragmented and continuous Valdivian forests, including forestry plantations conformed by exotic trees, with relatively mature and closed vegetation and deep soils covered with leaflitter.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Large LLong-clawed Mice with reproductive signals were recorded in spring and summer.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List (as Pearsonomys annectens). The Large Long-clawed Mouse occurs in less than 20,000 km?, it is known from fewer than ten locations, and there is continuing decline in extent and quality of its habitat.

Bibliography. Chebez et al. (2014), D’Elia (2015), D'Elia, Ojeda et al. (2006), Figueroa et al. (2012), Patterson (1992a), Patterson & D’Elia (2008b), Teta (2013), Teta & D’Elia (2017), Teta, Canén et al. (2017).