Lonchothrix emiliae Thomas 1920
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
Lonchothrix
Lonchothrix emiliae

description: 60.
Tuft-tailed Spiny Tree-rat
Lonchothrix emiliae
French: Rat-épineux d'Emilie / German: Blischelschwanz-Stachelratte / Spanish: Rata arboricola de cola de penacho
Other common names: Tuft-tailed Spiny-rat
Taxonomy. Lonchothrix emiliae Thomas, 1920,
“Villa Braga, on the left bank of the Rio Tapajos, just above the first rapids,” Para, Brazil.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. C Amazonian Brazil S of the Amazon River, from the lower reaches of the Rio Madeira, Rio Tapajos, and Rio Xingu.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 155-220 mm, tail 150-230 mm; weight up to 300 g. The Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rat is small and densely covered by long, flexible, and wide spiny hairs (aristiforms). Dorsum is gray-brown, head is blackish with golden tint, and rump and sides have more yellowish or pale yellowish tones. Venter is whitish, grayish, or buff and usually with buffy central midline. Throat has white-tipped hairs, and chest is pale gray-brown. Robusttail is 96-104% of head-body length and is covered with short, dark, flat, and evenly spaced scale hairs, but tail scales remain still visible. Tail has long terminal tuft of coarse red brown hairs (up to 45 mm). Hindfeet are short and broad, with each digit bearing stout claws. Dorsal surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are whitish or pale yellowish; palmar and plantar surfaces are pinkish. Brown ears are short, naked, and hidden by spines on head. Skull of the Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rat is short, robust, and broad. Rostrum is short, and nasal bones have parallel sides. Muzzle is usually broader than in species ofits sister genus, Mesomys. The Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rat has well-developed squarish interorbital region; well-developed incisive foramina, wider and longer than in species of Mesomys, and shortlateral process of supraoccipital located at mid-part of auditory meatus but not extending below its lower edge. Meatus itself is situated near squamosal, with its short auditory tubes oriented outward; typmpanic bullae are not inflated; mesopterygoid fossa is narrow, with its palatal bridge reaching middle of M* hamular processes of pterygoid bones are narrow, not spatulate; and maxillary vein passage is located within foramen. Upper cheekteeth are round with single, short labial flexus and four well-developed lingual ones; these become isolated as fossettes with wear, similar to species of Mesomys and “eumysopine” genera (e.g. Proechimys). Lower dP, has single lingual fold and four oblique labial ones, and lower molars have single lingual and three labial folds.
Habitat. Lowland Amazonian rainforest habitat and mature and secondary (or “capoeira”) forest where tree heights are 5-10 m at elevations below 100 m. Near Alter do Chao, Santarem, the Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rat was collected in habitats such as white sand grasslands, gallery forest, and rainforest close to human cultivated areas;it has even been captured and observed in wooden houses.
Food and Feeding. Stomach contents of Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rats included unidentified yellowish plant mass and fruit pulp, presumably of Byrsonima sp. (Malpighiaceae), which is a common small tree encountered at the site of collection. The Tuftedtailed Spiny Tree-rat is arboreal and appears primarily frugivorous or herbivorous, but it might eat some insects.
Breeding. Pregnant Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rat was caught in March near Jacareacanga (Para State). Litter sizes of two young have been reported.
Activity patterns. The Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rat is primarily nocturnal, although in one study, individuals moved and fed around a house during late afternoon (18:30 h and later).
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rats vocalize and feed 67 m up in trees and wooden structures. They are clearly arboreal and live in high capoeira vegetation. They were reported to build nests in tree holes and abandoned buildings. Individuals will remain motionless in the light of a flashlight for several minutes before returning to their nocturnal movements. Most observed individuals were solitary, although a pair was observed on one occasion, possibly a female with a small juvenile.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. One might expect a rainforest species such as the Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rat to be negatively affected by deforestation. Nevertheless,it occurs in various habitats and several national parks, and it seems to do well in disturbed habitats close to human habitation. Additional studies on distribution, habitat, abundance, ecology, and conservation threats to Tufted-tailed Spiny Tree-rat are needed.
Bibliography. Aniskin (1993), Auricchio (2001), Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Emmons (1990, 1997a, 2005), Lara et al. (1996), Leite & Patton (2002), Patton et al. (2015), Thomas (1920c), Woods (1993), 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 583-584, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6623649