Pudella mephistophiles (de Winton, 1896), Ecuadorian Páramo Pudu, is 1 of 2 species in the genus Pudella. It is a very small, sexually dimorphic deer with a characteristic dark brown face. It is solitary, largely living at high altitudes in the Páramo, near humid montane forests of the northern Andes, in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Until recently, P. mephistophiles was affected by hunting, and currently by habitat loss mainly because of agriculture. It is infrequently observed or captured and considered “Data Deficient” (DD) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord, 1825, the Hispid Cotton Rat, is a sigmodontine rodent with small ears, black eyes and feet, dense brownish-black pelage with bands of yellow just below the black tips, gray hairs on the ventrum, and a tail about 40% of total length. This account is an update of Mammalian Species 158 on the subject species by Guy N. Cameron and Stephen R. Spencer (1981), incorporating more than 160 new references, most since 1981. Sigmodon hispidus, 1 of 4 species in this Neotropical genus in the United States, has an expanding distribution, especially in the central states, and populations in 3 locations in northern Mexico. Sigmodon hispidus is classified as “Least Concern” (LC) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
Abstract Tylomys nudicaudus Peters, 1866, is a large cricetid commonly called Peter’s Climbing Rat. It can be distinguished from other members of Tylomys by its reddish-brown to light brown dorsal pelage, which becomes more intense on the flanks, whitish or pale reddish-yellow ventral pelage, and large, dark, naked ears. The tail length is almost as long as head–body length, naked, and shiny with large scales forming wide rings along the dark, proximal two-thirds; the distal portion of the tail is white. It is a nocturnal and crepuscular arboreal species that inhabits deciduous and evergreen tropical forests in México, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Globally, it is listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Otocolobus manul (Pallas, 1776) is a small, solitary, terrestrial felid commonly called the Manul and is the sole species of its genus. It occurs in Afghanistan, Armenia, Bhutan, China, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan. Otocolobus manul might still occur in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan but might be extinct in Azerbaijan. As assessed in 2020, O. manul is listed as “Least Concern” (LC) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species, with an estimate of 58,000 adults, although the population might be decreasing.
Abstract Callicebus oenanthe Thomas, 1924, commonly known as the San Martín Titi Monkey, is endemic to the northern portion of the department of San Martin, in the Alto Mayo and Huallaga river valleys. It lives in family groups, consisting of a monogamous pair and their offspring. It occurs at elevations between 200 and 1,000 m. Callicebus oenanthe feeds primarily on fruit, but includes other foods like leaves, flowers, and invertebrates in its diet. Although locally common, the species is listed as “Critically Endangered” (CR) both by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and under Peruvian legislation.
Abstract Oryzomys texensis Allen, 1894, the Texas Marsh Rice Rat, is a yellowish gray-brown oryzomyine rodent with whitish feet and venter, black eyes, small hairy ears, short vibrissae, and a tail about one-half of total length. It was elevated to species status based on the results of an extensive molecular genetics analysis of the O. palustris complex. The poorly defined eastern boundary of O. texensis includes Mississippi, Arkansas, southern Missouri, and southern Illinois, with populations extending westward to southeastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, eastern and coastal Texas, into northeastern Tamaulipas, Mexico. Present in tidal marshes and other habitats near water, O. texensis is omnivorous, with some populations being highly carnivorous.
Abstract The blackish small-eared shrew, Cryptotis nigrescens (Allen, 1895), is a blarinine soricid that occurs in high-elevation premontane wet forest and cloud forest in the Central American countries of Costa Rica and Panama. The species is taxonomically monotypic, although it exhibits size variation that manifests as a gradual increase in size from northwest to southeast. Habitat loss is currently the greatest threat to the species’ existence, although populations in the few areas where C. nigrescens has been studied appear to be healthy, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies it as a species whose conservation status is “Least Concern” (LC). We include a complete synonymy for the genus Cryptotis Pomel, 1848.
AbstractThe South American hoary bat, Lasiurus villosissimus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1806), is a vespertilionid bat, endemic to South America and occurring in all countries except Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname. It is one of the four species included in the subgenus Aeorestes. Lasiurus villosissimus is distinguishable from all other species of the genus by its larger size and coloration (except Lasiurus cinereus, but it only occurs in Mexico, Central America, and the Hawaiian Islands). Pelage is dark brownish and grayish mixed with yellow, tinged with white, producing a frosty or hoary appearance which is always evident. It is an insectivorous species that inhabits a great variety of habitats.
AbstractLeopardus guigna (Molina, 1782) is a felid commonly called the kodkod. It is the smallest cat in the Americas—about the size of a small house cat—and is 1 of 13 species in the genus Leopardus. Leopardus guigna has the smallest distribution of any New World felid, restricted to southern Chile and Argentina where it is strongly associated with the Chilean Matorral and Valdivian Temperate Rainforest ecoregions. Leopardus guigna is listed on Appendix II of the Convention for the International Trade of Endangered Species and as “Vulnerable” (VU) by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss and fragmentation, human persecution, and its declining population.
Abstract: Oryzomys palustris (Harlan, 1837), the common marsh rice rat, is an Oryzomyine rodent with a tail nearly as long as the head and body, grayish above and white below with long-toed white feet. This account is an update of Mammalian Species 176 on the subject species by James L. Wolfe (1982a), incorporating 103 new references, most published since 1982. Oryzomys palustris, one of six living and two extinct species in this Neotropical genus, is semiaquatic and omnivorous, being highly carnivorous in some populations. It is parapatric with O. texensis in the western portion of its distribution in the southern United States. Oryzomys palustris is classified as “Least Concern” (LC) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
Abstract Paraxerus cepapi (A. Smith, 1836) is a rodent commonly called Smith’s bush squirrel. Pelage color varies throughout its distribution, with grayer individuals in the western reaches of its distribution and more brown individuals in eastern areas. Paraxerus cepapi is 1 of 11 species in the genus Paraxerus and is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers P. cepapi to be a species of “Least Concern” (LC), listing no major threats.
AbstractEptesicus innoxius (Gervais, 1841) is a vespertilionid bat commonly known as harmless brown bat or harmless serotine. It is a small bat, with woolly, short dorsal fur (5–6 mm), that is brown to pale grayish brown; the sagittal and lambdoidal crests are very low or absent. Eptesicus innoxius occurs in lowlands west of the Andes, with a geographic distribution restricted to northwestern and southern Ecuador, and northwestern Peru, at elevations from sea level to 1,200 m. It is listed as “Near Threatened” (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature because of a suspected population reduction due to a significant decline of habitat where the species occurs.
Abstract Capromys pilorides (Say, 1822), Desmarest’s hutia, is one of the world’s largest rodents; body mass of adults typically exceeds 3 kg. It occurs only on Cuba, although fossil remains from the late Quaternary Period have been found on the Cayman Islands. Capromys pilorides is widely distributed throughout the Cuban archipelago where it occurs at elevations from sea level to 1,200 m. Capromys pilorides can be terrestrial or arboreal depending on habitat and has a generalist phytophagous diet. It forms social groups and has a polygynous mating system. The conservation status of Capromys pilorides was most recently assessed in 2008, and it is currently listed as “Least Concern” (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species.
Abstract Otospermophilus douglasii (Richardson, 1829), the Douglas ground squirrel, was first described as a species and then relegated to a subspecies of the California ground squirrel, O. beecheyi (Richardson, 1829). However, genetic data recently were interpreted as indicative of returning O. douglasii back to valid species status. This semi-fossorial, social species is brown with small white spots, a dark dorsal patch, and silvery shoulders. Occupying diverse habitats and elevations, this native species is an important prey species and is most abundant in grasslands and open woodlands. It forages primarily on seeds and vegetation but is also in conflict with humans as a crop pest and disease vector that damages infrastructure through creating elaborate burrow systems. Currently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has not provided a conservation assessment for O. douglasii.
AbstractThis account represents a thorough update of Mammalian Species 227 on the subject species by A. M. Greenhall, U. Schmidt, and G. Joermann, incorporating 124 relevant references published since 1984. Diphylla ecaudata Spix, 1823, a medium-sized bat and the smallest of three species in the Desmodontinae, is commonly called the hairy-legged vampire bat. This hematophagous bat is distributed from eastern Mexico through Central America and into South America, with a single report in south Texas, United States. Diphylla ecaudata is restricted to habitats in tropical and subtropical regions and it occurs from sea level to 1,900 m in these areas. It primarily roosts in caves. Diphylla ecaudata is listed as a species of “Least Concern” (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
AbstractGazella leptoceros (F. Cuvier, 1842) is a monotypic African gazelle, most commonly called the slender-horned gazelle. It is one of 21 species in the genus Gazella and is distinguished by its pale sandy coloration, fawn-colored markings, and namesake long, slender horns. Gazella leptoceros is a dune specialist that inhabits the hyperarid northern Sahara Desert between Algeria and Egypt. It feeds on shrubs and low desert plants and ranges over large distances in small groups of 1–5 animals. Because of its very small, isolated populations, G. leptoceros is classified as “Endangered” (EN) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species and is on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Abstract: Lycaon pictus (Temminck, 1820), the African wild dog, is a moderately sized carnivore with dog-like appearance and irregularly mottled black, yellow-brown, and white pelage. It has a head–body length of 76–112 cm, tail length of 30–41 cm, shoulder height of 61–78 cm, and body weight of 17–36 kg. Lycaon pictus has four toes on each foot, differentiating it from other canids; is the only extant species within the genus with no subspecies; and is unlikely to be confused with any other canid. Lycaon pictus was once widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa inhabiting nearly all environments and now inhabits grasslands, montane savanna, and open woodlands. Lycaon pictus is recognized as “Endangered” (EN) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
AbstractMyotis lavali Moratelli, Peracchi, Dias, and Oliveira, 2011 is a vespertilionid bat commonly called LaVal’s myotis. It is a small- to medium-sized bat with long silky fur; dorsal fur strongly bicolored, with medium-brown bases and light-brown tips. It occurs from Northeastern Brazil to Paraguay and northern Argentina, and its distribution is associated with the South American diagonal of dry formations (Caatinga, Cerrado, Chaco, and Pantanal biomes), with peripheral records in the adjacent Atlantic Forest. Myotis lavali is listed as “Least Concern” (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
