Toromys rhipidurus
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 rhipidurus

description: 79.
Peruvian Toro
Toromys rhipidurus
French: Toromys du Pérou / German: Peru-Tororatte / Spanish: Rata arboricola de Peru
Other common names: Peruvian Armored Tree-rat, Peruvian Tree-rat
Taxonomy. Echimys rhipidurus Thomas, 1928,
“Pebas, 300° [= 92 m],” Loreto, Peru.
Toromys rhipidurus was formerly classified in the genera Echimys and Makalata. Monotypic.
Distribution. W Amazonia in Peru. An unconfirmed record from E Ecuador.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 210-260 mm, tail 180-215 mm; weight 315 g. The Peruvian Toro is the smallest species of Toromys. Dorsum and flanks have uniform blending of reddish and yellowish brown pelt, abundantly streaked with black hairs. Forequarters and head are grayish or yellowish and slightly contrast with dorsum. Dorsal pelt is glossy and mix of narrow, flexible, and stiff bristles (aristiforms and setiforms), with tips drawn out into hair-like processes. These sharp and flat bristles are lacking from flank and side of body. Rump is sometimes lightly sprinkled with few white speckles and white tipped spines, but it usually lacks white or pale tip spines as seen on species of Pattonomys. Venter is yellowish gold, sometimes with median yellowish gold midline and bicolored hairs, light brown at bases, and golden or yellow at tips. Robust tail is 7095% of head—body length. Tail is covered with short reddish and yellowish brown hairs on first 35 mm ofits length, and glossy black dark brown or grayish bristly hairs subsequently cover it, and tail scales are visible. Hindfeet are short and broad and have stout claws. Dorsal surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are dark brown or black and sprinkled with gold bicolored hairs. There are two pairs of lateral mammae. Ventral surface of tail base and thighs are bright rust-red to dull. Dorsal surfaces of forefeet, hindfeet, and limbs are rusty or reddish compared with dorsum. Plantar and palmar surfaces between pads are covered with tubercular rugosities. Rounded ears are small and naked. Crania of the Peruvian Toro is similar to that of the Black Toro (1. grandis), differing by its smaller size, broader rostrum, shorter tooth rows, less inflated and smaller auditory bulla, narrower zygomatic arches, smaller basicranium, and wider incisor blade. Additionally, the Peruvian Toro has a petrosal wedge separating the auditory meatus from squamosal bone.
Habitat. [Lowland riverine rainforests at elevations from c. 90 m to 160 m.
Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Peruvian Toro is reportedly folivorous.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. Thereis specific information available for this species.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Peruvian Toro is arboreal.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Additional studies on distribution, habitat, ecology, abundance, and conservation threats to the Peruvian Toro are needed.
Bibliography. Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Emmons (1990, 1997a, 2005), Emmons, Leite & Patton (2015b, 2015d), Sanborn (1949), Thomas (1928b), 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 592-593, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6623649