Speciation in the Brazilian Spiny RatsMoojen, João
Science
Speciation in the Brazilian Spiny Rats
Moojen, João
Proechimys
_Color._--General color of back and sides results from uniform
mixture of black distal parts of aristiforms with Ochraceous-Buff
of subapical zone of setiforms. Dorsally, from nose caudad to rump,
mixture appears brownish-black, lined with Ochraceous-Buff; toward
sides, amount of Ochraceous-Buff gradually increases and resultant
color is much lighter brown than on back. On outer parts of arms
and legs, color turns gradually to sepia toward distal parts and
finally to uniform sepia on wrists and ankles, this color extending
to outer dorsal parts of hands and feet; on ankles, sepia forms
complete ring, as usual in the genus. Tail blackish-brown on upper
parts, this stripe gradually tapering toward tip where dark brown
hairs form small pencil; white of under side of tail sometimes seen
also entirely around distal part, short of tip which remains dark
brown. Ventral surfaces wholly white, from upper lips caudad
including inner surfaces of legs.
_Hairs._--_Aristiforms on middorsal region_: Gray basally,
gradually blackening toward tip that has long, fine filament;
total length 16 to 19 mm; maximum width 0.5 mm. On outer thigh
whitish basally, gradually blackening toward tip; some with
Ochraceous-Buff, subapical zone; total length 13 to
15 mm; maximum width 0.25 mm. _Setiforms on middorsal region_:
Whitish on basal half, gradually blackening toward tip, but
interrupted by Ochraceous-Buff, subapical zone; some with Light
Ochraceous-Buff, subapical zone and short, blackish zone on tip;
total length 12 to 14 mm; maximum width 0.02 mm. _Setiforms on
outer thighs_: Whitish on basal half, then gradually becoming gray
on middle part and finally Light Ochraceous-Buff on distal third,
or with tip blackish and Ochraceous-Buff, subapical zone.
_Skull._--Elongate and broad with no conspicuous crests; rostrum
rather stout; jugals deep with transverse crest usually
well-developed; zygomatic postorbital process conspicuous and
formed entirely of squamosal; incisive foramen short and wide
posteriorly; vomerine sheath complete in great majority of
specimens, its maxillary part wide and strong; posterior palatine
foramina on plane with front of M1 or slightly farther forward;
bullae rather small and elongate.
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