Keywords
Tail
Colombia
Rodents
How to Cite
Accepted 2024-07-22
Published 2024-08-03
Abstract
Tail autotomy is rare among mammals, mainly observed in rodents. This note reports two new cases in the Colombian Speckled Tree Rat (Pattonomys semivillosus) and Hummelinck’s vesper mouse (Calomys hummelincki). P. semivillosus displays real autotomy, dropping its entire tail when grabbed, akin to lizard behavior. C. hummelincki exhibits fake autotomy, shedding only the tail tip, exposing the last eight vertebrae. These observations add to the limited knowledge of autotomy in rodents, increasing the known species count to 49.
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