Phyllomys lamarum
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Echimyidae
Phyllomys
Phyllomys lamarum

description: 89.
Pallid Atlantic Tree-rat
Phyllomys lamarum
French: Rat-épineux pale / German: Helle Kistenbaumratte / Spanish: Rata arboricola atlantica palida
Taxonomy. Nelomys lamarum Thomas, 1916,
“Lamarao, Bahia, about 70 miles N.W. of Bahia city [= Salvador]. Alt. 300 mm [sic].” Amended by L. H. Emmons and colleagues in 2002 to “LLamarao, about 70 miles NW of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 11°47’S 38°53’W,elev. 300 m.”
Phyllomys lamarum was formerly classified in the genera Echimys and Nelomys. It is closely related to P. brasiliensis, divergence of these two species is a relatively recent event. Monotypic
Distribution. E Brazil, NE Bahia through NE Minas Gerais to N Espirito Santo states.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 180-230 mm, tail 180-233 mm; weight 135-290 g. The Pallid Atlantic Tree-rat is medium-sized and has yellow-brown upper parts, with speckled pattern due to short (24 mm) and wide (1-3 mm) aristiforms. Dorsal pelage has bicolored spines, pale at bases and darkening toward ends where they become orange and terminate in dark, thin, whip-like tips. Belly is pale brown, with white patches ranging from buff-white to pure white. There is typical fulvous lateral line separating dorsum from venter. Tail is slender and usually ¢.98% of head-body length. It is thinly furred with pale brownish hairs, making tail scalesstill visible through its entire length. Skull of the Pallid Atlantic Tree-rat has well-developed supraorbital ridges; interorbital region diverges posteriorly, with straight edges; post-orbital process is absent or inconspicuous. Zygomatic arch is robust, with maximum height smaller than or equal to one-third ofjugal length. Spinose post-orbital process is present and mainly composed ofjugal. Lateral process of supraoccipital is short, reaching level of midline of external auditory meatus. Incisive foramina are oval. Mesopterygoid fossa is wide and forms angle more than 60° anteriorly, reaching posterior lamina of second upper molar. Upper incisors are orthodont. Upper tooth rows are nearly parallel. Ventral spine is present on jaw atjunction between mandibular rami and angular process.
Habitat. Semideciduous forests.
Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Pallid Atlantic Tree-rat has lophodont cheekteeth that suggest a folivorous diet.
Breeding. A pregnant Pallid Atlantic Tree-rat carrying two embryos was caught in May at Lamarao, Bahia, Brazil. Pallid Atlantic Tree-rats typically nest aboveground, usually in tree hollows.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but Pallid Atlantic Tree-rats are probably nocturnal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Pallid Atlantic Tree-rat is arboreal and probably solitary.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Forest habitat where Pallid Atlantic Tree-rats occurs is highly reduced and fragmented due to human activities. It occurs at Estacao Ecolégica de Acaua (a state park) in Minas Gerais State. Additional ecological studies of the Pallid Atlantic Tree-rat are needed.
Bibliography. Araujo et al. (2014), Emmons (1990, 1997a, 2005), Emmons et al. (2002), Leite (2003), Leite & Loss (2015), Loss & Leite (2011), Woods & Kilpatrick (2005).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Echimyidae, pp. 552-604 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 598-599, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6623649