Octodon pacificus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	OCTODONTIDAE

Scientific Name:	Octodon pacificus
Species Authority:	R. Hutterer, 1994
Taxonomic Notes:	The species needs taxonomic revision (O. Lessa pers. comm.)

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically Endangered B1ab(i,ii,iii)+2ab(i,ii,iii) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Lessa, E., Ojeda, R. & Bidau, C.

Reviewer/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Critically Endangered because its extent of occurrence is less than 100 km² and its area of occupancy is less than 10 km², its distribution is severely fragmented, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat.

History:

1996

–

Vulnerable (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs on Mocha Island off the coast of central Chile in Arauca province (Wilson and Reeder, 2005). Although a recently described species, the first collection of it was made in 1959 (Saavedra et al. 2003).
Countries:	Native: Chile
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species has not be trapped since Hutterer (1994) despite several attempts (Saavedra et al., 2003). It is thought that the population is now extremely small.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The island supports dense vegetation that is biogeographically related to mainland Valadivian forest. It occupies only a few square kilometers of forest habitat.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The islanders rely heavily on the vegetation for their subsistence which has led to significant degradation of the natural habitats. Human activity has resulted in the almost total deforestation of lowlands which are now dominated by grasslands. The Valdivian forest is now restricted to the highest elevations and subject to logging.

Major Threat(s):

The islanders rely heavily on the vegetation for their subsistence which has led to significant degradation of the natural habitats. Human activity has resulted in the almost total deforestation of lowlands which are now dominated by grasslands. The Valdivian forest is now restricted to the highest elevations and subject to logging.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Research is needed to Further trapping efforts should directed to mountain tops.

Conservation Actions:

Research is needed to Further trapping efforts should directed to mountain tops.

Bibliography [top]

	Hutterer, R. 1994. Island rodents: a new species of Octodon from Isla Mocha, Chile (Mammalia: Octodontidae). Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 59: 27-51. Saavedra, B., Quiroz, D. and Iriarte, J. 2003. Past and present small mammals of Isla Mocha (Chile). Mammalian Biology 68: 365-371. Wilson, D. E. and Reeder, D. M. 2005. Mammal Species of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Hutterer, R. 1994. Island rodents: a new species of Octodon from Isla Mocha, Chile (Mammalia: Octodontidae). Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde 59: 27-51.

Saavedra, B., Quiroz, D. and Iriarte, J. 2003. Past and present small mammals of Isla Mocha (Chile). Mammalian Biology 68: 365-371.

Wilson, D. E. and Reeder, D. M. 2005. Mammal Species of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Citation:	Lessa, E., Ojeda, R. & Bidau, C. 2008. Octodon pacificus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2012.
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