Phyllomys dasythrix Hensel 1872
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 dasythrix

description: 97.
Drab Atlantic Tree-rat
Phyllomys dasythrix
French: Rat-épineux bistre / German: Distere Kistenbaumratte / Spanish: Rata arboricola atlantica apagada
Taxonomy. Phyllomys dasythrix Hensel, 1872,
“Rio Grande do Sul, Stid-Brasiliens.” Restricted LL. H. Emmons and colleagues in 2002 to “Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 30°04’S 51°07'W.”
Phyllomys dasythrix was formerly classified in the genera Loncheres, Echimys, and Nelo-mys. It is closely related to P. sulinus; divergence of these two species is relatively recent. Monotypic.
Distribution. S Brazil, in Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul states.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 180-195 mm, tail 205-225 mm; weight 250 g. Pelt of the Drab Atlantic Tree-rat is soft, with long and fine aristiforms on rump, blackish distally and paler at bases with the thin whip-like tips. Tail is nearly naked, with some brownish hairs scattered on its surface, and it lacks a terminal tuft. Skull of the Drab Atlantic Tree-rat has weakly developed and beaded supraorbital ridges; interorbital region is slightly divergent posteriorly, sometime with small post-orbital processes. Zygomatic arch is robust, with maximum height equal to one-third ofjugal length. Spinose postorbital process is short, formed by squamosal bone only. Lateral process of supraoccipital is long and extends to level of midline of external auditory meatus. Incisive foramina are oval. Mesopterygoid fossa is narrow and forms 45-60° anteriorly, reaching posterior lamina of M*. Upper incisors are orthodont. Upper tooth rows are parallel. Molar teeth are large, with palatal width less than width of M'. Angular process ofjaw not deflected laterally.
Habitat. Semideciduous forest and potentially in evergreen araucaria (Araucariaceae) forest inland from sea level to elevations of ¢.800 m.
Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but Drab Atlantic Tree-rat has lophodont cheekteeth that suggest a folivorous diet.
Breeding. A young Drab Atlantic Tree-rat was collected in February at Sao Francisco de Paula, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Drab Atlantic Tree-rats probably nest aboveground, usually in tree hollows.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but Atlantic tree-rats are nocturnal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Drab Atlantic Tree-rat is arboreal and probably solitary. It builds leaf nests in tree hollows. Predation by the Crabeating Fox (Cerdocyon thous) has been documented.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Drab Atlantic Tree-rat has been recently split from the Southern Atlantic Tree-rat (P. sulinus), and this resulted in a smaller extent of occurrence (10,000 km?). Moreover, the Drab Atlantic Tree-rat is known from only seven localities where habitat fragmentation has been reported. Specialists suggest that it should be listed in a higherrisk category (Vulnerable) in future revisions of The IUCN Red List.
Bibliography. Emmons (1990, 1997a), Emmons et al. (2002), Leite (2003), Leite & Loss (2015), Leite et al. (2008), Loss & Leite (2011), Patton et al. (2015), Pedo et al. (2006), 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 603, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6623649