An overview of caudal autotomy in rodents, with new records for Cricetidae and Heteromyidae

Celeste María López; Manfredo Alejandro Turcios-Casco

doi:10.31687/SaremNMS25.1095

Autores/as

Celeste María López Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Bahia, Brasil. Asociación para la Sostenibilidad e Investigación Científica en Honduras (ASICH), Francisco Morazán, Honduras.
Manfredo Alejandro Turcios-Casco Asociación para la Sostenibilidad e Investigación Científica en Honduras (ASICH), Francisco Morazán, Honduras. Laboratório de Etnoconservação e Áreas Protegidas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Bahia, Brasil. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3198-3834

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31687/SaremNMS25.1095

Palabras clave:

autodesprendimiento de la cola, Handleyomys, Honduras, Nyctomys, Ototylomys

Resumen

La autotomía caudal es un fenómeno conocido principalmente en reptiles (por ejemplo, Lepidosauria), pero los casos en mamíferos son escasos. Por lo tanto, se presenta una revisión sobre la autotomía caudal en roedores y se registran cuatro nuevos casos para las especies: la rata de arroz del bosque nublado, Handleyomys saturatior (Merriam, 1901); el ratón espinoso de Desmarest, Heteromys desmarestianus (Gray, 1868); la rata de Vesper, Nyctomys sumichrasti (Saussure, 1860); y el ratón trepador de orejas grandes, Ototylomys phyllotis Merriam, 1901. Se han documentado un total de 55 especies de roedores con autotomía caudal, siendo el 72,7% autotomía falsa y el 27,3% autotomía verdadera. Es esencial investigar este rasgo defensivo, ya que puede contribuir significativamente a su adaptabilidad y éxito en diversos hábitats.

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