INVESTIGADORES
FORMOSO Anahi Elizabeth
artículos
Título:
First description of the breeding nest of Irenomys tarsalis, a sigmodontine rodent endemic to the Southern Andean forests
Autor/es:
FORMOSO ANAHÍ E.; JULIANA SANCHEZ
Revista:
REVISTA MEXICANA DE BIODIVERSIDAD
Editorial:
INST BIOLOGIA
Referencias:
Lugar: México; Año: 2014 vol. 85 p. 987 - 989
ISSN:
1870-3453
Resumen:
The Chilean tree rat, Irenomys tarsalis is a rare sigmodontine endemic to the Southern Andean forests and very little is known about its habits. The aim of this work was to describe its breeding nest. The nest was located inside a hollow of a living Lenga Beech (Nothofagus pumilio) in Fontana Lake proximities, Chubut province, Argentina. The nest was located 2 m above ground and inside an oval hollow, with 2 openings in upper part and opposite to main opening. The material of the nest was: scarce feathers and lichens, dry and fine grass, pieces of small sticks and scraped material from internal side of the trunk. Associated arthropod fauna was not found, but two specimens of flea from Rhopalopsyllidae family were recovered. Nesting in tree habits supports the thought of a long and close association between Irenomys tarsalis and Notophagus forest. This note allowed us to add new information on the breeding biology of one of the least known sigmodontine of the Southern Temperate Rain Forest and to the limited knowledge on sigmodontine rodent. Keywords: Chilean tree rat, nesting habits, Nothofagus, Patagonia, Argentina.