Toromys grandis
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
Toromys
Toromys grandis

description: 80.
Black Toro
Toromys grandis
French: Toromys géant / German: Schwarze Tororatte / Spanish: Rata arboricola grande
Other common names: Giant Armored Tree-rat, Giant Tree-rat
Taxonomy. Loncheres grandis Wagner, 1845,
“vom Amazonenstrom.” Restricted by J. Moojen in 1952 to “Manaquiri, lower Rio Solimoes, Amazonas, Brazil.”
Toromys grandis was formerly classified in the genera Loncheres, Echimys, and Makalata. Monotypic.
Distribution. Lower Brazilian Amazon at both sides of the Amazon River, from its confluence with the Rio Negro to its mouth at Caviana I.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 303 mm, tail 285 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Black Toro is a large arboreal species. Dorsum and flanks have uniform mix of black and golden guard hairs, with darker mid-dorsum. Venteris yellowish gold, sometimes with median yellowish gold midline; hairs are bicolored, light brown at bases, and golden or yellow at tips. Dorsal pelt has coarse, harsh, flexible, and stiff bristles (aristiforms and setiforms). Head is black, sprinkled with golden tint. Furry tail is 80-90% of head-body length and covered with short black hairs, hiding tail scales. Tail hairs decrease in density from proximal to distal end. Hindfeet are broad and have stout claws. Dorsal surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are dark brown or black, sprinkled with gold bicolored hairs. There are two pairs of lateral mammae. Plantar and palmar surfaces between pads are covered with tubercular rugosities. Ears are black, rounded, and hairy externally. Skull of the Black Toro is short, robust, and broad. Rostrum is distinguished by typical medial constriction of nasal bones when viewed dorsally. Squamosotympanic fenestra is narrow horizontal slit. It has extended and well-developed supraorbital region, with shelf-like supraorbital edge that curves upon frontal bone. Lateral process of supraoccipital is short and situated at mid-part of auditory meatus opening and does not extend beyond lower edge of meatus. Maxillary vein passage is located within foramen. Tympanic bulla is not inflated, with auditory meatus situated high near squamosal bone and with short auditory tubes having outward orientation. Basioccipital is narrow and short. Wide mesopterygoid fossa reach M* and M’ contact zone and make 60° angle with posterior edge of M* lamina. Incisive foramina are short and slit-like. Tooth rows are parallel, with uneven loph size occlusal patterns. Upper cheekteeth are square to rectangular and longer than wide. Tooth row is somewhat longer than in species of Pattonomys. Lower dP, is tetralophodont. On tooth rows, anteroloph, protoloph, and metaloph are connected by slender mure, as in species of Pattonomys. Lowerincisors are not strongly curved, and upperincisors are opisthodont. Angular process of jaw is slender, with well-developped massteric ridge and wide condyle.
Habitat. Floodplain and riverine rainforests near sea level.
Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Black Toro is reportedly folivorous.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Black Toro is reported to be nocturnal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Black Toro has been reported to nest in tree hollows in riverine habitats.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. As a rainforest species, the Black Toro might be affected by deforestation, but it occurs in flooded forests that are not highly threatened habitats in the Amazonian region. Additional studies on distribution, habitat, ecology, abundance, and conservation threats to Black Toro are needed.
Bibliography. Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Emmons (1990, 1997a, 2005), Emmons, Leite & Patton (2015b, 2015d), lack-Ximenes et al. (2005), Moojen (1952b), Wagner(1845), 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 593, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6623649