Small non-volant mammals of the Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua, Ecuador

Abstract

We provide insights into the diversity of small non-volant mammals (SNVMs) in the Reserva Geobotánica Pululahua, a peri-urban natural area of Quito, Pichincha province, Ecuador. Based on Sherman-like traps and pitfall traps, we recorded 21 species of SNVMs. They represent 40% of the total species reported for the entire province, and include six species that are endemic to the northwestern slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. Despite its proximity to the city of Quito (less than 5 km), Pululahua seems to have an average richness compared with other similar localities in the Ecuadorian Andes. Our results are a baseline for future conservation plans for SNVMs.

A new genus of oryzomyine rodents (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) with three new species from montane cloud forests, western Andean cordillera of Colombia and Ecuador

“…After more than two centuries of active mammalogy research ( Tirira, 2014 ), intensive field work was conducted in few Ecuadorian places. Examples for those places in the eastern Andes are Papallacta ( Voss, 2003 ), Guandera Biological Reserve ( Lee et al, 2015 ), Sangay National Park ( Brito & Ojala-Barbour, 2016 ), Yacuri National Park ( Lee et al, 2018 ); and in the western Andes are Cajas National Park ( Barnett, 1999 ), Otonga Reserve ( Jarrín, 2001 ; Pinto et al, 2018 ), Pululahua Geobotanical Reserve ( Curay, Romero & Brito, 2019 ), and Polylepis Forest ( Ojala-Barbour, Brito & Teska, 2019 ). The interest in complementing biodiversity studies has led to expeditions to little-known locations, such as the Reserva Drácula and also triggered revisions of museum specimens.…”

“…During the last few years, numerous field expeditions were conducted by the senior author (JB) to assess small mammal assemblages in several sites in northwest Ecuador. As a result, a rich collection of sigmodontine rodents was secured, including at least 20 species ( Brito & Arguero, 2016 ; Curay, Romero & Brito, 2019 ). A primary morphological sorting of this material suggested the occurrence of undescribed oryzomyine taxa that, although externally similar to Nephelomys and Tanyuromys , displayed trenchant differences.…”