Machu Picchu Arboreal Chinchilla Rat
Cuscomys oblativa (Eaton, 1916)
Also calledAbrocome des Incas (fra) · Chinchilla arborícola de Machu Picchu (spa) · Machu-Picchu-Inkaratte (deu) · Rato-chinchila-arborícola-de-machu-pichu (por) · kuskoszczur inkaski (pol) · جرذ الشنشيلة ماتشو بيتشو الشجري (ara) · マチュピチュチンチラネズミ (jpn)
First described in: Mem. Conn. Acad. Arts Sci. vol.5 p.87
The Machu Picchu arboreal chinchilla rat (Cuscomys oblativus) is a large species of South American chinchilla rat, known from skeletal remains found by members of the Peruvian Expedition of 1912. The animals were buried alongside people in ancient Inca tombs at Machu Picchu in Peru. It was considered extinct by the IUCN in 2008, but conservation status was changed to data deficient in 2016. Photos of a rodent taken at Machu Picchu in late 2009 likely show this species, a finding apparently confirmed in 2014.
In 2020, as part of biodiversity study, a report was released with images that captured the rodent in the surroundings of Machu Picchu sanctuary.
Descriptions from checklists and floras indexed by GBIF
conservation
Conservation: Considered probably extinct by Thomas (1920 b); but see Emmons (1999 a: 13).
Order Rodentia - Family Abrocomidae
distribution
Distribution: Known only from Inca burial sites of Machu Picchu.
Order Rodentia - Family Abrocomidae
activity
Activity patterns. There is no information available for this species.
Abrocomidae
biology_ecology
Habitat. Dense, wet cloud forest on steep rocky slopes at elevations of ¢. 2700 m on the Machu Picchu ridge.
Abrocomidae
Where it has been recorded
Recorded sightings
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geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Cuscomys oblativa in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
From the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence records (GBIF.org), with Wikipedia and the Source Library. GBIF species 4264785.