Painted tree-rat

Species of mammals belonging to the spiny rat family of rodents

Painted tree-rat
Conservation status

Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Echimyidae
Subfamily: Echimyinae
Tribe: Myocastorini
Genus: Callistomys
Emmons & Vucetich, 1998
Species:
C. pictus
Binomial name
Callistomys pictus
(Pictet, 1841)
Synonyms

Isothrix picta Pictet, 1841
Echimys pictus (Pictet, 1841)

The painted tree-rat (Callistomys pictus) is a species of spiny rat from Brazil, restricted to north-eastern Bahia in eastern Brazil. It is the only species in the genus Callistomys.

Identification

With a total length of ca. 30 cm (12 in), it is a relatively large species of spiny rat. It is white with a strongly contrasting glossy-black cap, back and band down towards its forelimbs. Its long fur is dense and coarse, but not spiny, as in some other members of its family. Specimens often have brown (rather than black) markings, but as far as it is known this is caused by fading and does not occur in the living animals.

Owing to its striking black-and-white pelage, it is virtually unmistakable, but could perhaps be confused with a hairy dwarf porcupine (Coendou spp.) – all of which have spines and lack the distinctive pattern of the painted tree-rat.

Etymology

  • The genus name Callistomys derives from the two ancient greek words κάλλιστος (kállistos) meaning "very beautiful", — i.e., this is the superlative form of καλός (kalós) meaning "beautiful, handsome" —, and μῦς (mûs), meaning "rat".[2][3]
  • The species name derives from the Latin word pictus meaning colored, decorated,[4] and refers to the white and black fur of this rodent.

Habitat

The painted tree-rat is found in the Atlantic forest. It also occurs in cocoa plantations where some native trees remain. As far as known, it is nocturnal.

Phylogeny

The painted tree-rat has been placed in different genera: Nelomys, Loncheres, or Isothrix.[5] However, analyses of DNA and protein characters showed that the genus Callistomys is the sister group to the genus Myocastor (coypus or nutrias).[6][7] In turn, these two taxa share evolutionary affinities with other Myocastorini genera: Proechimys and Hoplomys (armored rats) on the one hand, and Thrichomys on the other hand.

Genus-level cladogram of the Myocastorini.
Myocastorini  
         

  Thrichomys (punaré)

         
         

  Callistomys (painted tree-rat)

  Myocastor (nutria)

         

  Hoplomys (armored rat)

  Proechimys

The cladogram has been reconstructed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters.[8][9][10][6][11][12][7]

Conservation status

The painted tree-rat is currently listed as Endangered by the IUCN because of its fragmented distribution, its continuing decline and the quality of its habitat. An outlying record was not included in the assessment.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Roach, N.; Naylor, L. (2019). "Callistomys pictus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T6985A160756610. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T6985A160756610.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.|date= / |doi= mismatch
  2. ^ Bailly, Anatole (1981-01-01). Abrégé du dictionnaire grec français. Paris: Hachette. ISBN 978-2010035289. OCLC 461974285.
  3. ^ Bailly, Anatole. "Greek-french dictionary online". www.tabularium.be. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  4. ^ Gaffiot, Félix (1934). Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français (in French). Paris: Librairie Hachette. p. 1179. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  5. ^ Patton, James L.; Pardiñas, Ulyses F. J.; D’Elía, Guillermo (2015-03-09). Mammals of South America, Volume 2: Rodents. University of Chicago Press. pp. 889–890. ISBN 9780226169606.
  6. ^ a b Loss, Ana; Moura, Raquel T.; Leite, Yuri L. R. (2014). "Unexpected phylogenetic relationships of the painted tree rat Callistomys pictus (Rodentia: Echimyidae)" (PDF). Natureza on Line. 12: 132–136.
  7. ^ a b Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Upham, Nathan S.; Emmons, Louise H.; Justy, Fabienne; Leite, Yuri L. R.; Loss, Ana Carolina; Orlando, Ludovic; Tilak, Marie-Ka; Patterson, Bruce D.; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2017-03-01). "Mitogenomic Phylogeny, Diversification, and Biogeography of South American Spiny Rats". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 34 (3): 613–633. doi:10.1093/molbev/msw261. ISSN 0737-4038. PMID 28025278.
  8. ^ Galewski, Thomas; Mauffrey, Jean-François; Leite, Yuri L. R.; Patton, James L.; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2005). "Ecomorphological diversification among South American spiny rats (Rodentia; Echimyidae): a phylogenetic and chronological approach". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 34 (3): 601–615. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.11.015. PMID 15683932.
  9. ^ Upham, Nathan S.; Patterson, Bruce D. (2012). "Diversification and biogeography of the Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea (Rodentia: Hystricognathi)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (2): 417–429. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020. PMID 22327013.
  10. ^ Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Galewski, Thomas; Tilak, Marie-ka; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2013-03-01). "Diversification of South American spiny rats (Echimyidae): a multigene phylogenetic approach". Zoologica Scripta. 42 (2): 117–134. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2012.00572.x. ISSN 1463-6409. S2CID 83639441.
  11. ^ Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Vilstrup, Julia T.; Raghavan, Maanasa; Der Sarkissian, Clio; Willerslev, Eske; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P.; Orlando, Ludovic (2014-07-01). "Rodents of the Caribbean: origin and diversification of hutias unravelled by next-generation museomics". Biology Letters. 10 (7): 20140266. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2014.0266. ISSN 1744-9561. PMC 4126619. PMID 25115033.
  12. ^ Upham, Nathan S.; Patterson, Bruce D. (2015). "Evolution of Caviomorph rodents: a complete phylogeny and timetree for living genera". In Vassallo, Aldo Ivan; Antenucci, Daniel (eds.). Biology of caviomorph rodents: diversity and evolution. Buenos Aires: SAREM Series A, Mammalogical Research — Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamíferos. pp. 63–120.

External links

  • ARKive: Images and movies of the Painted tree-rat (Callistomys pictus)
  • v
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Extant species of family Echimyidae (Spiny rats), including Myocastoridae (Coypus) and Capromyidae (Hutias)
Echimyinae
Echimyini
Dactylomys
  • Bolivian bamboo rat (D. boliviensis)
  • Amazon bamboo rat (D. dactylinus)
  • Montane bamboo rat (D. peruanus)
Diplomys
  • Colombian soft-furred spiny rat (D. caniceps)
  • Rufous soft-furred spiny rat (D. labilis)
Echimys
  • White-faced spiny tree-rat (E. chrysurus)
  • Dark spiny tree-rat (E. saturnus)
  • Vieira's spiny tree-rat (E. vieirai)
Isothrix
  • I. barbarabrownae
  • Yellow-crowned brush-tailed rat (I. bistriata)
  • Rio Negro brush-tailed rat (I. negrensis)
  • Plain brush-tailed rat (I. pagurus)
  • Sinnamary brush-tailed rat (I. sinnamariensis)
Kannabateomys
  • Atlantic bamboo rat (K. amblyonyx)
Lonchothrix
  • Tuft-tailed spiny tree-rat (L. emiliae)
Makalata
  • Red-nosed armored tree-rat (M. didelphoides)
  • Long-tailed armored tree-rat (M. macrura)
  • Dark armored tree-rat (M. obscura)
  • Peruvian armored tree-rat (M. rhipidura)
Mesomys
  • Ferreira's spiny tree-rat (M. hispidus)
  • Woolly-headed spiny tree-rat (M. leniceps)
  • Tufted-tailed spiny tree-rat (M. occultus)
  • Pará spiny tree-rat (M. stimulax)
Olallamys
  • White-tailed olalla rat (O. albicauda)
  • Greedy olalla rat (O. edax)
Pattonomys
  • Bare-tailed armored tree-rat (P. occasius)
  • Speckled spiny tree-rat (P. semivillosus)
Phyllomys
  • Golden Atlantic tree-rat (P. blainvillii)
  • Orange-brown Atlantic tree-rat (P. brasiliensis)
  • Drab Atlantic tree-rat (P. dasythrix)
  • Kerr's Atlantic tree-rat (P. kerri)
  • Pallid Atlantic tree-rat (P. lamarum)
  • Lund's Atlantic tree-rat (P. lundi)
  • Mantiqueira Atlantic tree-rat (P. mantiqueirensis)
  • Long-furred Atlantic tree-rat (P. medius)
  • Blacked-spined Atlantic tree-rat (P. nigrispinus)
  • Rusty-sided Atlantic tree-rat (P. pattoni)
  • Southern Atlantic tree-rat (P. sulinus)
  • Giant Atlantic tree-rat (P. thomasi)
  • Short-furred Atlantic tree-rat (P. unicolor)
Santamartamys
  • Red-crested tree-rat (S. rufodorsalis)
Toromys
  • Giant tree-rat (T. grandis)
Myocastorini
Callistomys
  • Painted tree-rat (C. pictus)
Hoplomys
  • Armored rat (H. gymnurus)
Myocastor
  • Nutria (M. coypus)
Proechimys
group canicollis
  • Colombian spiny rat (P. canicollis)
group decumanus
  • Pacific spiny rat (P. decumanus)
group echinothrix
  • Stiff-spine spiny rat (P. echinothrix)
group gardneri
  • Gardner's spiny rat (P. gardneri)
  • Kulina spiny rat (P. kulinae)
  • Patton's spiny rat (P. pattoni)
group goeldii
  • Goeldi's spiny rat (P. goeldii)
  • Napo spiny rat (P. quadruplicatus)
  • Steere's spiny rat (P. steerei)
group guyannensis
  • Guyenne spiny rat (P. guyannensis)
  • Roberto's spiny rat (P. roberti)
group longicaudatus
  • Short-tailed spiny rat (P. brevicauda)
  • Cuvier's spiny rat (P. cuvieri)
  • Long-tailed spiny rat (P. longicaudatus)
group semispinosus
  • O'Connell's spiny rat (P. oconnelli)
  • Tome's spiny rat (P. semispinosus)
group simonsi
  • Simon's spiny rat (P. simonsi)
group trinitatus
  • Trinidad spiny rat (P. trinitatus)
  • Boyacá spiny rat (P. chrysaeolus)
  • Guaira spiny rat (P. guairae)
  • Guyanan spiny rat (P. hoplomyoides)
  • Magdalena spiny rat (P. magdalenae)
  • Minca spiny rat (P. mincae)
  • Gray-footed spiny rat (P. poliopus)
  • Sucre spiny rat (P. urichi)
Thrichomys
  • Common punaré (T. apereoides)
  • Foster's punaré (T. fosteri)
  • Highlands punaré (T. inermis)
  • Sao Lourenço punaré (T. laurentius)
  • Paraguayan punaré (T. pachyurus)
Euryzygomatomyinae
Clyomys
  • Broad-headed spiny rat (C. laticeps)
Euryzygomatomys
  • Brandt's guiara (E. guiara)
  • Fischer's guiara (E. spinosus)
Trinomys
  • White-spined Atlantic spiny rat (T. albispinus)
  • Soft-spined Atlantic spiny rat (T. dimidiatus)
  • Elias's Atlantic spiny rat (T. eliasi)
  • Gracile Atlantic spiny rat (T. gratiosus)
  • Ihering's Atlantic spiny rat (T. iheringi)
  • Dark-caped Atlantic spiny rat (T. mirapitanga)
  • Moojen's Atlantic spiny rat (T. moojeni)
  • Mouse-tailed Atlantic spiny rat (T. myosuros)
  • Spiked Atlantic spiny rat (T. paratus)
  • Hairy Atlantic spiny rat (T. setosus)
  • Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny rat (T. yonenagae)
Incertae sedis
Carterodon
  • Owl's spiny rat (C. sulcidens)
Capromyinae
Capromyini
Capromys
  • Desmarest's hutia (C. pilorides)
Geocapromys
  • Jamaican coney (G. brownii)
  • Bahamian hutia (G. ingrahami)
Mesocapromys
  • Cabrera's hutia (M. angelcabrerai)
  • Eared hutia (M. auritus)
  • Black-tailed hutia (M. melanurus)
  • Dwarf hutia (M. nanus)
  • San Felipe hutia (M. sanfelipensis)
Mysateles
  • Garrido's hutia (M. garridoi)
  • Isla De La Juventud tree hutia (M. meridionalis)
  • Prehensile-tailed hutia (M. prehensilis)
Plagiodontini
Plagiodontia
  • Hispaniolan hutia (P. aedium)
Taxon identifiers
Callistomys pictus
Isothrix picta