New locality records for unusual species of sigmodontine rodents (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from Northwestern Argentina

Abstract

The Sigmodontinae is a highly diverse subfamily of rodents that represents almost 30% of the mammalian species present in northwestern Argentina. However, the distribution of several species is delimited on the basis of scarce records. We add new localities for four poorly known species of rodents (Abrothrix andina Philippi 1858, Abrothrix jelskii Thomas 1824, Neotomys ebriosus Thomas 1894, Auliscomys sublimis Thomas 1900) in the High Andes of Jujuy and Salta provinces. We duplicate the number of known localities for A. jelskii in Salta, including the lowest known elevation record in Argentina and added the second known locality for Jujuy province. Furthermore, we add four new localities for A. sublimis, including the westernmost locality in Argentina, and reported for the first time this species at a departmental political division in NWA. Finally, we report the first departmental record for both A. andina and N. ebriosus in Valle Grande.