''Cuscomys'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

s found in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the list of cities in Peru, seventh m ...

in southern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. These relatively large

chinchilla rat Chinchilla rats or ''chinchillones'' are members of the family Abrocomidae. This family has few members compared to most rodent families, with only nine known living species. They resemble chinchillas in appearance, with a similar soft fur and s ...

s are dark grey with a distinct white line running from the crown to the nose. The genus was coined in 1999 when ''C. ashaninka'' was scientifically described,Emmons, L. H. (1999). ''A new genus and species of abrocomid rodent from Peru (Rodentia: Abrocomidae).'' American Museum Novitates 3279: 1-14. but later it was discovered that ''C. oblativus'', a species traditionally placed in the genus ''

Abrocoma ''Abrocoma'' is a genus of abrocomid rodents found in the Andes of South America, from southern Peru to central Chile. The genus contains eight species, most of which are found in isolated mountain ranges in northwestern Argentina. The oldest fo ...

'', actually belonged in ''Cuscomys''. They are very poorly known, as ''C. ashaninka'' only is known from the

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

, while ''C. oblativus'' usually has been considered

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

, as it was only known from remains found in 1912, buried alongside people in ancient

Inca The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, (Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The admin ...

tombs at the

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain range.UNESCO World Heritage Centre. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley, which ...

ruins. However, photos of a rodent taken at the ruins in late 2009 likely show this species.Castillo, G. M. (2009).
Detectan en Cusco a roedor declarado extinto
'. El Comercio (Peru). 12-08-2009. It is unclear if the ''Cuscomys'' truly are extremely rare, as they may be easily overlooked due to their remote distributions and

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

habits.

Species

*'' Cuscomys ashaninka'' – Asháninka Arboreal Chinchilla Rat *'' Cuscomys oblativus'' – Machu Picchu Arboreal Chinchilla Rat

References

Rodent genera {{rodent-stub