211.

Short-tailed Singing Mouse

Scotinomys teguina

French: Scotinomys d’Alston / German: KurzhaarBraunmaus / Spanish: Raton fonador de cola corta

Other common names: Alston's Brown Mouse, Alston's Singing Mouse

Taxonomy. Hesperomys teguina Alston, 1877, Coban, Alta Verapaz Dept., Guatemala.

Four subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

S.t.teguinaAlston,1877—fromSEMexico(SEOaxacaandChiapasstates)EtoCGuatemala.

S.t.apricusBangs,1902—NWNicaragua.

S.t.wazu].A.Allen,1904—CostaRicaandWPanama.

S. t. rufoniger Sanborn, 1935 — Honduras and N El Salvador.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 69-80 mm, tail 46-54 mm, ear 12-15 mm, hindfoot 15-19 mm; weight 10-13 g. The Short-tailed Singing Mouse is small, with chocolate-brown dorsum and venter. Other potentially sympatric and similarly sized mice (e.g. species of Baiomys and Mus) can be distinguished by their darker colors (especially venter) and their relatively longertails. Dental formulais11/1,C0/0,P1/1,M 3/3 (x2) = 20.

Habitat. Mainly wet, temperate forests, including oak (Quercus, Fagaceae), conifer, and cloud forests from elevations of 1000-2940 m but mostly below 2400 m. The Shorttailed Singing Mouse has also been collected in primary forests, open grass and shrublands, forest edges, under logs in grasslands, and coffee plantations.

Food and Feeding. The Short-tailed Singing Mouse is insectivorous. Adult insects, mainly beetles, constitute ¢.80% ofits diet.

Breeding. Pregnant Short-tailed Singing Mice have been collected in January-February and April-August. Few field data exist, and it could reproduce year-round. Gestation is c.31 days, and litters have 1-5 young. Males and females participate in construction of nests. Apparently, males also care for offspring.

Activity patterns. The Short-tailed Singing Mouse is one of the few diurnal species of mice found within its distribution. Peak of activity occurs during morning feeding bouts.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Short-tailed Singing Mice emit vocalizations that last 7-10 seconds and include ultrasonic and audible sounds; the latter are very high pitches, similar to those of insects. Males vocalize to repel rivals and attract mates.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Allen (1904), Alston (1877), Bangs (1902), Engstrom (2014c), Hooper & Carleton (1976), Miller & Engstrom (2007), Pasch et al. (2013), Sanborn (1935).