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Colombian forest mouse
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Sigmodontinae
Genus:	Chilomys Thomas, 1897
Species:	C. instans
Binomial name
Chilomys instans Thomas, 1895

The Colombian forest mouse (Chilomys instans) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. Some authorities consider it to be the only species in the genus Chilomys, while others accept Chilomys fumeus as being a valid species, and it may form part of a species complex. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Description

Chilomys instans is very similar to Chilomys fumeus in size and appearance. Both are small sigmodontines, with a head-and-body length of 72 to 102 mm (2.8 to 4.0 in) and a tail length of 102 to 137 mm (4.0 to 5.4 in). The ears are medium-sized and clad in short hairs, and the body fur is woolly and short. The dorsal surface is dark grey to greyish-brown and the underparts are a similar colour. The hind feet are narrow, and the slender tail is clad with short hairs, and often has a white tip. There are three pairs of mammary glands. The chief differences between the two species lies in the morphology of the skull.

Taxonomy

Based on both molecular and morphological studies, C. instans is believed to be most closely related to thomasomyine sigmodontines such as Aepeomys, Rhagomys, Rhipidomys and Thomasomys. The genus' morphology has been described as "peculiar".

Distribution and habitat

The Colombian forest mouse is native to South America. It occurs in mountainous areas of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador, in humid forests at altitudes of between 1,000 and 3,700 m (3,300 and 12,100 ft).

Ecology

Little is known of the behaviour. It seems to be nocturnal and lives on the ground where it creates runways among the mosses of the forest floor. Its diet includes insects, worms and plant material, and three new species of beetle have been identified from the stomach contents of this mouse in Colombia. The larger woodland Oldfield mouse (Thomasomys hylophilus) shares its range.

Status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated this species as being of "least concern" on the basis that it has a wide distribution, is presumed to have a large population, occurs in several protected areas, and is not likely to be declining at a sufficient rate to qualify to be listed in a more-threatened category.

References

1. ^ Aguilera, M.; Tirira, D.G. (2016). "Chilomys instans". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T4634A22335661. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T4634A22335661.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
2. Musser, G. G.; Carleton, M. D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1110. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
3. ^ Patton, James L.; Pardiñas, Ulyses F. J.; D’Elía, Guillermo (2015). Mammals of South America, Volume 2: Rodents. University of Chicago Press. pp. 577–580. ISBN 978-0-226-16957-6. OCLC 904333770.

v t e Myomorpha
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia
Myomorpha †Anomalomyidae Anomalomys Anomalospalax Prospalax Dipodoidea †Aksyiromys †Banyuesminthus †Elmymys †Primisminthus †Simiacritomys Dipodidae Allactaginae Allactaga Allactodipus Pygeretmus Scarturus Cardiocraniinae Cardiocranius Salpingotulus Salpingotus Dipodinae Dipodini Dipus Eremodipus Jaculus Stylodipus Paradipodini Paradipus Euchoreutinae Euchoreutes †Simimyidae Nonomys Simimys Sminthidae †Allosminthus †Gobiosminthus †Heosminthus †Heterosminthus †Lophocricetus †Macrognathomys †Megasminthus †Miosicista †Paraminthus †Schaubemys †Shamosminthus Sicista †Sinosminthus †Tyrannomys Zapodidae Eozapus †Javazapus Napaeozapus †Pliozapus †Sinozapus †Sminthozapus Zapus Muroidea †Armintomyidae Armintomys Platacanthomyidae †Neocometes Platacanthomys Typhlomys Spalacidae Myospalacinae Eospalax Myospalax †Pliosiphneus Rhizomyinae †Brachyrhizomys Cannomys Rhizomys Tachyoryctes Spalacinae Nannospalax Spalax Eumuroida See below↓
Eumuroida Calomyscidae Calomyscus Cricetidae †Copemys †Eumys †Wilsoneumys Arvicolinae Arvicolini Arvicola †Mimomys Clethrionomyini †Allophaiomys †Altaiomys Alticola †Borsodia Caryomys Clethrionomys Craseomys Eothenomys †Pitymimomys †Prolagurus Dicrostonychini Dicrostonyx †Predicrostonyx Ellobiusini Bramus Ellobius Lagurini Eolagurus Lagurus Lemmini Lemmus Myopus †Plioctomys Synaptomys †Tobienia Microtini Alexandromys Chionomys Hyperacrius Lasiopodomys Lemmiscus Microtus Mictomicrotus Neodon Proedromys Stenocranius Volemys Ondatrini †Cosomys Neofiber †Ogmodontomys Ondatra Pliophenacomyini Arborimus Phenacomys Pliomyini Dinaromys †Pliomys Cricetinae Allocricetulus †Apocricetus Cansumys †Collimys †Cricetinus †Cricetulodon Cricetulus Cricetus Mesocricetus †Neocricetodon Nothocricetulus Phodopus †Rotundomys †Symmetrodontomys Tscherskia Urocricetus †Democricetodontinae Democricetodon Karydomys Spanocricetodon Neotominae †Protorepomys †Tsaphanomys Baiomyini Baiomys Scotinomys Neotomini Hodomys Nelsonia Neotoma Xenomys Ochrotomyini Ochrotomys Reithrodontomyini Habromys Isthmomys Megadontomys Neotomodon Onychomys Osgoodomys Peromyscus Podomys Reithrodontomys Sigmodontinae †Cordimus Juliomys †Megaoryzomys Oryzomyalia Abrotrichini Abrothrix Chlelemys Geoxus Notiomys Akodontini Akodon Bibimys Blarinomys Brucepattersonius Deltamys Juscelinomys Kunsia Lenoxus Necromys Neomicroxus Oxymycterus Podoxymys Scapteromys Thalpomys Thaptomys Ozyzomyini Aegialomys Amphinectomys Cerradomys Drymoreomys Eremoryzomys Euryoryzomys Handleyomys Holochilus Hylaeamys Lundomys †Megalomys Melanomys Microakodontomys Microryzomys Mindomys Neacomys Nectomys Nephelomys Nesoryzomys Noronhomys Oecomys Oligoryzomys Oreoryzomys Oryzomys Pseudoryzomys Scolomys Sigmodontomys Sooretamys Tanyuromys Transandinomys Zygodontomys Phyllotini Andalgalomys Andinomys Auliscomys Calassomys Calomys Chinchillula Eligmodontia Euneomys Galenomys Graomys †Ichthyurodon Irenomys Loxodontomys Neotomys †Olympicomys Phyllotis Punomys Reithrodon Salinomys †Tafimys Tapecomys Thomasomyini Abrawayaomys Aepeomys Chilomys Delomys Phaenomys Rhagomys Rhipidomys Thomasomys Wilfredomys Wiedomyini †Cholomys Wiedomys Sigmodontalia Ichthyomyini Anotomys Chibchanomys Daptomys Ichthyomys Neusticomys Rheomys Sigmodontini †Prosigmodon Sigmodon Tylomyinae Nyctomyini Nyctomys Ototylomys Tylomyini Otonyctomys Tylomys Muridae Deomyinae Acomys Deomys Lophuromys Uranomys Gerbillinae Ammodillus Desmodilliscini Desmodilliscus Pachyuromys Gerbillini Brachiones Dipodillus Gerbillus Meriones Microdillus Psammomys Rhombomys Sekeetamys Gerbillurini Desmodillus Gerbilliscus Gerbillurus Tatera Taterillini Taterillus Leimacomyinae Leimacomys Lophiomyinae Lophiomys Murinae †Alormys †Coryphomys Hadromys †Hoojieromys †Milimonggamys †Rakasamys †Spelaeomys Vernaya Apodemini Apodemus †Rhagamys Tokudaia Arvicanthini Aethomys Arvicanthis †Canariomys Dasymys Dephomys Desmomys Golunda Grammomys Hybomys Lamottemys Lemniscomys †Malpaisomys Micaelamys Mylomys Oenomys †Parapelomys Pelomys Rhabdomys †Saharamys †Saidomys Stochomys Thallomys Thamnomys Typomys Hapalomyini Hapalomys Hydromyini Anisomys Apomys Archboldomys Baiyankamys Brassomys Chiropodomys Chiruromys Chrotomys Coccymys Conilurus Crossomys Haeromys Hydromys Hyomys Leggadina Leporillus Leptomys Lorentzimys Macruromys Mallomys Mastacomys Melomys Mesembriomys Microhydromys Mirzamys Notomys Parahydromys Paraleptomys Paramelomys Pogonomys Protochromys Pseudohydromys Pseudomys Rhynchomys Solomys Soricomys Uromys Xeromys Zyzomys Malacomyini Malacomys Millardini Cremnomys Diomys Madromys Millardia Pithecheir Pithecheirops Murini Mus Otomyini Myotomys Otomys Parotomys Phloeomyini Batomys Carpomys Crateromys Musseromys Phloeomys Praomyini Chingawaemys Colomys Congomys Heimyscus Hylomyscus Mastomys Montemys Myomyscus Nilopegamys Ochromyscus Praomys Serengetimys Stenocephalemys Zelotomys Rattini Abditomys Anonymomys Bandicota Berylmys Bullimus Bunomys Chiromyscus Crunomys Dacnomys Diplothrix Echiothrix Eropeplus Halmaheramys Hyorhinomys Kadarsanomys Komodomys Lenomys Lenothrix Leopoldamys Limnomys Margaretamys Maxomys Melasmothrix Micromys Nesokia Nesoromys Niviventer Papagomys Palawanomys Paruromys Paucidentomys Paulamys Rattus Saxatilomys Sommeromys Srilankamys Sundamys Taeromys Tarsomys Tateomys Tonkinomys Tryphomys Waiomys Vandeleurini Vandeleuria †Pseudocricetodontinae Adelomyarion Cincamyarion Heterocricetodon Latocricetodon Lignitella Kerosinia Oxynocricetodon Pseudocricetodon Nesomyidae Cricetomyinae Beamys Cricetomys Saccostomus Delanymyinae Delanymys Dendromurinae Dendromus Dendroprionomys Malacothrix Megadendromus Prionomys Steatomys Mystromyinae Mystromys Nesomyinae Brachytarsomys Brachyuromys Eliurus Gymnuromys Hypogeomys Macrotarsomys Monticolomys Nesomys Voalavo Petromyscinae Petromyscus

• IUCN Red List least concern species
• Thomasomyini
• Mammals of Colombia
• Mammals of Ecuador
• Mammals of Venezuela
• Mammals of the Andes
• Mammals described in 1895
• Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas