Cuscomys
Genus of rodents / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cuscomys is a genus of rodents found in the Andes of Cusco in southern Peru. These relatively large chinchilla rats are dark grey with a distinct white line running from the crown to the nose. The genus was coined in 1999 when C. ashaninka was scientifically described,[1] but later it was discovered that C. oblativus, a species traditionally placed in the genus Abrocoma, actually belonged in Cuscomys. They are very poorly known, as C. ashaninka only is known from the holotype,[2] while C. oblativus usually has been considered extinct, as it was only known from remains found in 1912, buried alongside people in ancient Inca tombs at the Machu Picchu ruins.[3] However, photos of a rodent taken at the ruins in late 2009 likely show this species.[4] It is unclear if the Cuscomys truly are extremely rare, as they may be easily overlooked due to their remote distributions and arboreal habits.[1]
Cuscomys | |
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Illustration of Cuscomys oblativus | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Abrocomidae |
Genus: | Cuscomys Emmons, 1999 |
Species | |