Resumen

MENA, José Luis; WILLIAMS, Martha; GAZZOLO, Carla  y  MONTERO, Francesca. Conservation status of Melanomys zunigae (Sanborn 1949) and small mammals in the Lomas of Lima . Rev. peru biol. [online]. 2007, vol.14, n.2, pp.201-208. ISSN 1727-9933.

The coastline and the western slopes of the Andes are main sites of Peruvian endemic mammals. Along the central coast occurs the only endemic rat from Lima, Zuniga's dark rice rat, Melanomys zunigae (Sanborn, 1949). It was collected by Enrique Zuñiga in 1942 at Lomas de Atocongo and Cerro San Jerónimo. Since then, sporadic searches have been conducted, not necessarily targeted at finding it, but without records. Our study was aimed at finding evidence of its presence in the Loma formations around the city of Lima. Our methods were non-exhaustive trappings and the collection of burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) pellets. Unfortunately no evidence of the presence of M. zunigae was found. However, we found evidence that the impact of Lima´s urban sprawl would be affecting small mammal assemblages at the Lomas. Several factors could have determined M. zunigae´s disappearance: habitat destruction, exotic species invasions and Lomas isolation.

Palabras clave : Melanomys zunigae; Small mammals; Lomas; conservation status; Lima; Peru.

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