Irenomys

Irenomys
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Sigmodontinae
Tribe: Phyllotini
Genus: Irenomys
Thomas, 1919
Species:
I. tarsalis
Binomial name
Irenomys tarsalis
(Philippi, 1900)
Synonyms

Mus tarsalis Philippi, 1900
Reithrodon longicaudatus Philippi, 1900
Irenomys longicaudatus: Thomas, 1919
Irenomys tarsalis: Osgood, 1943

Irenomys tarsalis, also known as the Chilean climbing mouse,[1] Chilean tree mouse,[2] or long-footed irenomys,[3] is a rodent found in Chile, from about 36° to 46°S, and in adjacent Argentina, mainly in forests. It is a large, long-tailed, soft-furred mouse characterized by grooved upper incisors and specialized molars with transverse ridges, divided by deep valleys, which are connected by a transverse ridge along the midline of the molars.

Irenomys tarsalis is a docile, herbivorous animal that lives in trees. It is so distinct from other species that it was placed in its own genus, Irenomys, in 1919. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word εἰρήνη (iren) meaning "peace", in reference to the end of World War I. Although it has been generally placed in the tribe Phyllotini, genetic evidence does not support any close relationships with other genera, so that it is now classified as a member of the subfamily Sigmodontinae incertae sedis (of uncertain position).

  1. ^ a b Pardinas et al., 2008
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference K1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Musser and Carleton, 2005, p. 1121