A mouse with a tail longer than its body is discovered in Ecuador’s northern Andes

By Irene White

High in the Andes of northern Ecuador, cities sit in the shadow of mountains and ancient volcanoes covered in dense forest.

Otavalo’s Andean mouse, Thomasomys otavalo.

Just north of the capital city of Quito, these towering peaks are the home of an animal just under 5 inches long from head to butt.

Trailing behind the fluffy animal, however, is a tail longer than the rest of its body combined, more than 6 inches long, researchers said in a study published Nov. 5 in the peer-reviewed journal Vertebrate Zoology.

The “very long tail” belongs to the Otavalo’s Andean mouse, Thomasomys otavalo, recently discovered as a new species.

“The specific epithet ‘Otavalo’ honors the Otavalo culture” who are “recognized for their music and ability for weaving and commercializing textiles,” researchers said. “For decades, the Otavalos have been one of the most recognizable and proud indigenous cultures of South America.”

The mouse itself has “fine, dense and soft” hair covering its body, according to the study. The hair on its back and sides is described as “dark drab” while the mouse’s sides are more of a brown color.

On the mouse’s stomach, the soft hair is a lighter gray and “ground cinnamon” color, researchers said.

“(The) tail (is) longer than the combined length of head and body, uniformly dark, with (a) white (tip),” according to the study. The tail is covered in little hairs and rows of scales.

Compared with other related species, the Otavalo’s Andean mouse is slightly larger and has shorter hails on its back, researchers said. The mouse’s tail is also “noticeably” long in comparison to mice in the same genus.

The mice were found in fewer than 10 locations in northwestern Ecuador, ranging in elevation from about 7,500 feet to 12,000 feet, according to the study.

“Thomasomys otavalo sp. nov. is, thus far, endemic to the temperate and high Andean zoogeographic areas of the montane forest, an environment characterized by trees with abundant orchids, ferns, and bromeliads,” researchers said.
The new species was found near Mojanda, a dormant volcano with a caldera filled with lakes. The site is about a 50-mile trip from Quito.

A second related new species, Igor’s Andean mouse, was also identified in the study from a similar area, but researchers only examined preserved specimens and no full body photos were shared.

In comparison to the Otavalo’s Andean mouse, the Igor’s Andean mouse, or Thomasomys igor, is similar in size and tail length but has brown fur. It was confirmed as a different species through the examination of bones and analyzing the mouse’s DNA, according to the study.
________________

Credit: MSN News