Zygodontomys brevicauda explained

Zygodontomys brevicauda, also known as the short-tailed zygodont,^[1] short-tailed cane mouse,^[2] or common cane mouse,^[3] is a species of rodent in the genus Zygodontomys of tribe Oryzomyini.

Distribution

It occurs from Costa Rica via Panama, Colombia and Venezuela into Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and northern Brazil, including Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean.

Subspecies

It includes three subspecies:

• Zygodontomys brevicauda brevicauda
• Zygodontomys brevicauda cherriei
• Zygodontomys brevicauda microtinus.

Diseases

Many Zygodontomys brevicauda serve as viral reservoirs, causing illnesses such as Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever.^[4]

Literature cited

• Duff, A. and Lawson, A. 2004. Mammals of the World: A checklist. Yale University Press, 312 pp.
• Musser, G.G. and Carleton, M.D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894–1531 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp.

Notes and References

1. Musser and Carleton, 2005
2. Delgado et al., 2008
3. Duff and Lawson, 2004
4. Salas, R., and De Manzione, N.. "Venezuelan haemorrhagic fever." Lancet. 8774.338 (1991): 1033-1037. Print.