538.

Ravine Hocicudo

Oxymycterus wayku

French: Hocicudo des ravins / German: Schluchten-Grabmaus / Spanish: Raton hocicudo de barranco

Taxonomy. Oxymycterus wayku Jayat et al., 2008, “ Argentina, Province of Tucuman, | Department of Trancas, 10 km by road south of Hualinchay on the trail to Lara (26°19°20.2"S,65°36'45.527W, 2316m), This species is monotypic.

Distribution. NW Argentina (E slopes of Sierra del Aconquija and Cumbres Calchaquies ranges), Tucuman Province.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 124-144 mm, tail 77-97 mm, ear 17-21 mm, hindfoot 28-32 mm; weight 44-5— 76-5 g. See general characters of the genus under the Anazonian Hocicudo (O. amazonicus) account. Dorsum of the Ravine Hocicudo is blackish brown, with slight ocher or reddish hue (juvenile almost black) and dorsal hairs dark gray for most of their lengths but tips ocherous; guard hairs are completely black and extend well beyond underfur, up to 3-5 mm on rump. Sides sre similar to dorsum. Venter is paler, with ocher intermingled with ash-gray hair bases; and chin has conspicuous white spot that, in some specimens, extends onto throat. Tuft of black hairs has ocher tips immediately anterior to ear, extending posteriorly to middle of pinnae. Forefeet and hindfeet are dark gray, almost black, with digits covered by white ungual tufts that contrast sharply with darkness of body, thighs, and feet. Tail is almost completely black, only slightly paler ventrally, and densely covered by hair.

Habitat. Belt of humid slopes—ecotone between montane forest and highland grasslands—in upper limits of Yungas forests at elevations of 800-2200 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. One female Ravine Hocicudo had signs of reproductive activity in late April/early May; males collected in July or early spring were reproductively inactive.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red List.

Bibliography. d'Hiriart et al. (2015), Jayat, D'Elia et al. (2008), Oliveira & Goncalves (2015).