Lundomys molitor

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	CRICETIDAE

Scientific Name:

Lundomys molitor

Species Authority:

(Winge, 1887)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Greater Marsh Rat, Lund's Amphibious Rat, Lund’s Amphibious Rat

Synonym/s:

Hesperomys molitor Winge, 1887

Holochilus magnus Hershkovitz, 1955

Taxonomic Notes:

Voss and Carleton (1993) propose Holochilus magnus as the same as Hesperomys molitor and synonymize these as Lundomys molitor.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Gonzalez, E., D'elia, G. & Pardinas, U.
Reviewer/s:	Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: This species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category. However, it is known only from a few localities and specimens; although surveys have been undertaken it is rarely collected but this may be due to inappropriate survey techniques rather than evidence of genuine rarity. Most suitable habitat for this species has been destroyed in Uruguay and its habitat is under threat in rest of its range, thus current information on status and threats should be monitored.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in Rio Grande do Sol, southeast Brazil and southern Uruguay (Woods and Kilpatrick 2005, Eisenberg and Redford, 1999).The type locality comes from a fossil in Lagoa Santa (Brazil).
Countries:	Native: Brazil; Uruguay
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species was reported as 'rather common' in 1929 along the Rio Cebollati and in marshes in Trienta y Tres, Uruguay (Voss and Carleton, 1993). Results of a 1963 expedition suggest that L. molitor is less abundant than sympatric H. brasiliensis. Not abundant, difficult to locate, only three point localities in Uruguay (Queirolo pers. comm.).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species occurs in areas with aquatic vegetation near streams and rivers (Gonzalez 2001). This is a nocturnal and semi aquatic species, observed in tall grasses and reeds also in marshy areas. Voss and Carleton (1993) report recent populations where grasslands, marshes, gallery forests and open woodlands form complex mosaics of subtropical pampas habitats (Voss and Carleton, 1993). It is mainly vegetarian (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999). The species builds nests in reeds above water.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater

Habitat and Ecology:

This species occurs in areas with aquatic vegetation near streams and rivers (Gonzalez 2001). This is a nocturnal and semi aquatic species, observed in tall grasses and reeds also in marshy areas. Voss and Carleton (1993) report recent populations where grasslands, marshes, gallery forests and open woodlands form complex mosaics of subtropical pampas habitats (Voss and Carleton, 1993). It is mainly vegetarian (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999). The species builds nests in reeds above water.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Destruction of wetlands and marshlands.

Major Threat(s):

Destruction of wetlands and marshlands.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It occurs in several protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

It occurs in several protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

	Eisenberg, J. F. and Redford, K. H. 1999. Mammals of the Neotropics: The Central Neotropics. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA. Gonzalez, E. M. 2001. Guia de Campo de los Mamiferos de Uraguay. Introduccion al Estudio de los Mamiferos. Vida Silvestre, Montevideo, Uruguay. IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008). Musser, G. G. and Carleton, M. D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. In: D. E. Wilson and D. A. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World: a geographic and taxonomic reference, pp. 894-1531. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA.

Eisenberg, J. F. and Redford, K. H. 1999. Mammals of the Neotropics: The Central Neotropics. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, USA.

Gonzalez, E. M. 2001. Guia de Campo de los Mamiferos de Uraguay. Introduccion al Estudio de los Mamiferos. Vida Silvestre, Montevideo, Uruguay.

IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008).

Musser, G. G. and Carleton, M. D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. In: D. E. Wilson and D. A. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World: a geographic and taxonomic reference, pp. 894-1531. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA.

Citation:	Gonzalez, E., D'elia, G. & Pardinas, U. 2008. Lundomys molitor. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2013.
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