Hair structure of small rodents from central Argentina: A tool for species identification

CAVIA REGINO; ANALÍA ANDRADE; MARTÍN E. ZAMERO; MARÍA S. FERNÁNDEZ; EMILIANO MUSCHETTO; GERARDO R. CUETO; OLGA V. SUÁREZ

MAMMALIA

CHRISTIANE DENYS, Paris, France

Lugar: Paris, France; Año: 2008 vol. 72 p. 35 - 43

0025-1461

Mamal hairs differ among species and may therefore be used for diagnoses at the species level. We characterized dorsal guard hairs of most rodent species that may be found in central Buenos Aires province (Argentina), according to their geographic distribution: Cavia aperea, Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, Mus musculus, Holochilus brasiliensis, Scapteromys aquaticus, Oxymicterus rufus, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Akodon azarae, Deltamys kempi, Calomys laucha and C. musculinus. We provide discriminant functions and a dichotomic key to identify hairs at the species level based on the hair lenght and width and scale morphology observed in specific sections of dorsal guard hairs. Discriminat functions require fewer measurements and are faster than the use of the key.