Valle de las Cuevas and Fuerte de San Rafael (Mendoza, Argentina), two elusive type localities of rodents revisited

TAMMONE, MAURO N.; PARDIÑAS, ULYSES F. J.

Mastozoología Neotropical

Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamíferos (SAREM)

Año: 2021

Based on various resources, the original collection localities for ve species of rodents whosetype specimens were collected by Thomas Bridges during the 19th century are discussed. The taxa examinedare the caviomorph species Aconaemys fuscus and Ctenomys pontifex, and the cricetids Abrothrix hirta,Euneomys mordax, and Paynomys macronyx. A. fuscus was indicated as coming from Valle de las Cuevas, whilethe others were collected in or near Fuerte de San Rafael, both located in Mendoza Province, Argentina. After adetailed scrutiny of the original publications, specimen labels, historical cartography, and pertinent literature,we conclude that (1) Valle de las Cuevas, a fancy name coined by Bridges, corresponds to the current localityof Valle Hermoso and (2) the association of Fuerte de San Rafael with some of the abovementioned species isapocryphal. We propose that both type localities should be corrected to Valle Hermoso, a high-Andean valleylocated about 30 km to the east of Volcán Peteroa.