Phyllomys unicolor
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 unicolor

description: 90.
Unicolored Tree-rat
Phyllomys unicolor
French: Rat-épineux unicolore / German: Einfarb-Klistenbaumratte / Spanish: Rata arboricola atlantica unincolor
Other common names: Short-furred Atlantic Tree-rat, Unicolored Atlantic Tree-rat
Taxonomy. Loncheres wunicolor Wagner, 1842,
“Brasilia.” Restricted by L. H. Emmons and colleagues in 2002 to “Colonia Leopoldina [now Helvécia], 50 km SW Caravelas, Bahia, Brazil, 17°48’S 39°39'W, elev. 59 m.”
Phyllomys unicolor was formerly classified in the genera Loncheres, Echimys, and Nelomys. Monotypic.
Distribution. E Brazil, known only from the type locality in S Bahia State.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 280 mm,tail 202 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Unicolored Tree-rat is the second largest species of Phyllomys, and it has uniform pale rusty red-brown upper parts. Venter becomes gradually buffy. Dorsal pelt is composed of rather short and stiff guard hairs on dorsum (20 mm). Rump pelt is coarse, with long (26 mm) and thin (0-6 mm) guard hairs. Tail is 73% of head-body length and is rusty. Tail is covered with long (5 mm) hairs covering scales. Tail hairs become longer toward end, wheretip is slightly tufted. Hindfeet are short and broad and bear stout claws. Dorsal surfaces of hindfeet are yellowish. Ears are nearly naked and short, with hair tufts near anterior edges. Skull of the Unicolored Tree-ratis robust and flat dorsally; rostrum is short and robust. Jugal is broad dorso-ventrally, and jugal fossa is deeply concave and has strong beaded ventral lip, with tip of fossa reaching anteriorly to ventral maxillojugal suture. Rounded post-orbital process is present and mainly formed byjugal. Lateral process of supraoccipital is long and extends ventrally below lower edge level of external auditory meatus. Tympanic bulla is conspicuously inflated. Incisive foramina are oval. Mesopterygoid fossa is wide and forms 60° angle anteriorly, reaching posterior edge offirst lamina of third upper molar. Upper tooth rows are extremely wide (13-9 mm) and parallel. Upperincisors are broad, orthodont, and orange. Angular process ofjaw is deflected laterally.
Habitat. Broadleaf evergreen rainforests near the coast. The Unicolored Tree-ratis only known from a single type specimen collected in the 19" century.
Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Unicolored Tree-rat has lophodont cheekteeth that suggest a folivorous diet.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information are available for this species, but Unicolored Tree-rats are probably nocturnal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but Unicolored Tree-rats probably nest aboveground, usually in tree hollows.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Unicolored Tree-rat is known only from the single specimen collected in a lowland broadleaf evergreen rainforest, which is now highly reduced at the type locality, Helvecia, Bahia State, Brazil. Additional studies near the type locality are needed to locate remaining populations of this poorly known and very distinct tree-rat.
Bibliography. Emmons et al. (2002), Leite (2003), Leite & Loss (2015), Loss & Leite (2011), Wagner (1842), 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 page 599, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6623649