Contributions to the mammalogy of Chile

Species Limits and Phylogenetic Relationships in the Didelphid Marsupial Genus Thylamys Based on Mitochondrial DNA Sequences and Morphology

“…DISTRIBUTION: As restricted by authors Solari, 2003;Braun et al, 2005;Creighton and Gardner, 2008) and as recognized in this report, Thylamys elegans is endemic to central Chile, where its distributional limits remain to be convincingly documented. Examined specimens that we refer to this species were collected between about 30u and 36uS (in the regions of Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitana, and Maule), from near sea level to about 1000 m. As noted by Palma (1995), the specimens reported from much lower latitudes and/or higher elevations in northern Chile (Atacama and Tarapacá ) by Pine et al (1979) are referable to T. pallidior. Although Creighton and Gardner (2008: 110) did not map any northern Chilean localities for T. elegans, the elevational range that they attributed to this species (''from sea level to over 3500 m'') was presumably based on Pine et al's (1979) misidentified material.…”

“…The only Chilean specimens we examined that fit this description are a small series from Maule (USNM 541587-541591) from which, unfortunately, we have no sequence data. Pine et al (1979) previously examined this series and concluded that it represents the soricinus phenotype. We agree, but because the Maule specimens are indistinguishable from typical elegans in measurements and qualitative craniodental traits, no taxonomic distinction seems warranted at this time.…”

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“…Distribución y microhábitat: Cavia tschudii se distribuye ampliamente a lo largo de la región andina, desde el norte de Perú, Bolivia, norte de Chile hasta el norte de Argentina, entre 2.000 y 3.800 m de altitud (Pine et al, 1979;Tonni, 1984;Woods, 1993). Anderson (1997) señala que Cavia tschudii habita en Bolivia tanto en las laderas andinas como en sectores de llanura a poca altitud, aunque aclara que la asignación específica de esos ejemplares es tentativa.…”

“…Díaz et al (2000) mencionan un ejemplar de C. tschudii capturado en el Parque Nacional Baritú, provincia de Salta, en ambiente de la PF de las Yungas. Los especímenes del norte de Chile provienen de la región extremadamente árida de Arica, a escasa altitud, y fueron capturados en ambientes de ribera de valles fluviales en áreas de vegetación densa (Pine et al, 1979). La especie no cuenta con ningún registro moderno en los ambientes de las PF de la Prepuna, de la Puna y Altoandina, en las áreas del altiplano del norte de Argentina y de Bolivia.…”

Mammalia, Lagomorpha, Leporidae, Lepus europaeus, Pallas, 1778: distribution extension, first confirmed record for Paraguay

“…Although several authors describe distributions and trends for Lepus in the Southern Cone of South America (see Pine et al, 1979;Dietrich, 1984;Johnson et al, 1990;Jaksic, 1998;Jaksic et al, 2002;Novillo and Ojeda, 2008) actual locality records are not particularly abundant. Most mention L. europaeus as a food item in carnivore diet studies (Jaksic et al1983;Branch et al 1996;Pia et al 2003;Diuk-Waser and Cassini 1998;Zapata et al 1998;Rau and Jiménez 2002;Donadio et al 2004;García and Kittlein 2004;and Zapata et al 2005), avian scavenger diet studies , in occasional records from faunal surveys (Aguilar et al, 2007;Cossio 2004;Dotta and Verdade 2007;and Aguiar et al 2007) and/or in describing the ecology of Lepus itself (Auricchio et al 1999;Campos et al 2001;Cossíos, 2004;and Kufner et al 2008).…”