Sphiggurus vestitus

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	ERETHIZONTIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sphiggurus vestitus

Species Authority:

(Thomas, 1899)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Brown Hairy Dwarf Porcupine

Taxonomic Notes:

This species formally was treated into Coendou. Bonvicino et al. (2000) suggested that Coendou and Sphiggurus represent distinct lineages that have evolved by different chromosomal mechanisms (Woods and Kilpatrick 2005).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Data Deficient ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s:

Tirira, D., Boada, C., Weksler, M., Anderson, R.P. & Gómez-Laverde, M.

Reviewer/s:

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

Justification:
This species is listed as Data Deficient in view of the absence of recent information on its status and ecological requirements.

History:

1996

–

Vulnerable

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in Colombia, it is known only from two definite localities in the western foothills of the eastern Andean cordillera, about 60 km WNW of Bogotá at about 1,300 m asl (Voss and da Silva, 2001; Woods and Kilpatrick, 2005).
Countries:	Native: Colombia
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is known from only a few individuals (Voss and da Silva, 2001). The species has been recently captured, identified from photographic evidence (D. Perico pers. comm.). Prior to this no specimens of this species had been recorded since 1925, and it was thought that the species may have been extirpated from its known range (Voss and da Silva, 2001). They are difficult to survey.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This porcupine is nocturnal and arboreal. It feeds on leaves, shoots, and fruits. Nothing has apparently been recorded about the habitats or behavior of this species, but the natural vegetation at the two localities where specimens are definitely known to have been collected was probably lower montane moist forest (Voss and da Silva, 2001). The individual captured near to Villa de Lleyva was found in a fruit tree in a plantation (D. Perico pers. comm.).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This porcupine is nocturnal and arboreal. It feeds on leaves, shoots, and fruits. Nothing has apparently been recorded about the habitats or behavior of this species, but the natural vegetation at the two localities where specimens are definitely known to have been collected was probably lower montane moist forest (Voss and da Silva, 2001). The individual captured near to Villa de Lleyva was found in a fruit tree in a plantation (D. Perico pers. comm.).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Unfortunately, habitat destruction is virtually complete in this part of Colombia, and it is possible that the species has been extirpated (Voss and da Silva, 2001).

Major Threat(s):

Unfortunately, habitat destruction is virtually complete in this part of Colombia, and it is possible that the species has been extirpated (Voss and da Silva, 2001).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Further surveys are needed in distribution, threats, status and ecological requirements.

Conservation Actions:

Further surveys are needed in distribution, threats, status and ecological requirements.

Bibliography [top]

	Bonvicino, C. R. F., Almeida, F. C. and Cerquerira, R. 2000. The karyotype of Sphiggurus villosus (Rodentia: Erethizontidae). Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 35: 81-83. Voss, R. S. and Da Silva, M. N. F. 2001. Revisionary notes on neotropical porcupines (Rodentia, Erethizontidae). 2. A review of the Coendou vestitus group with descriptions of two new species from Amazonia. American Museum Novitates 3351: 36 pp. Woods, C. A. and Kilpatrick, C. W. 2005. Infraorder Hystricognathi. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 1538-1599. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Bonvicino, C. R. F., Almeida, F. C. and Cerquerira, R. 2000. The karyotype of Sphiggurus villosus (Rodentia: Erethizontidae). Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 35: 81-83.

Voss, R. S. and Da Silva, M. N. F. 2001. Revisionary notes on neotropical porcupines (Rodentia, Erethizontidae). 2. A review of the Coendou vestitus group with descriptions of two new species from Amazonia. American Museum Novitates 3351: 36 pp.

Woods, C. A. and Kilpatrick, C. W. 2005. Infraorder Hystricognathi. In: D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 1538-1599. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Citation:	Tirira, D., Boada, C., Weksler, M., Anderson, R.P. & Gómez-Laverde, M. 2008. Sphiggurus vestitus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2012.
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