The pleasant bolo mouse, or pleasant akodont, (''Necromys amoenus'') is a species of

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 ...

in the family Cricetidae. It is found on grassland at high altitudes in

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and

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 ...

Description

The pleasant bolo mouse is a small member of its genus with a head-and-body length of between and a tail of . The back and upper parts have yellowish-brown fur intermixed with some black hairs. The muzzle, cheeks and sides of the body are yellowish-buff, and the underparts are whitish. There is often a clear demarcation between the different regions, and the belly contrasts strongly with the upper regions. The whiskers are short, the ears rounded and well-furred and the tail is blackish-brown or ochre-brown above, and white below. The paws are covered with ochre-brown hairs above and the nails are concealed in bushy tufts of hair.

Distribution and habitat

The pleasant bolo mouse is found in the Andean Plateau of west-central South America, in western Bolivia and southeastern Peru. It is present in the

altiplano The Altiplano (Spanish for "high plain"), Collao (Quechua and Aymara: Qullaw, meaning "place of the Qulla") or Andean Plateau, in west-central South America, is the most extensive high plateau on Earth outside Tibet. The plateau is located at the ...

grasslands at altitudes between about . It is also reported from the eastern side of the Andes on slopes in

Salta Province Salta () is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the east clockwise Formosa, Chaco, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán and Catamarca. It also surrounds Jujuy. To the north it borders Boliv ...

, Argentina. It can be found near rocky outcrops and in sparsely-grassed area with scattered rocks, particularly in areas where the Peruvian feathergrass (''Jarava ichu'') and ''

Parastrephia lepidophylla ''Parastrephia lepidophylla'', commonly known as tola or tola tola, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to South America and has been recorded from Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru where it is characteristic ...

'' predominate. It is also found in ''

Polylepis ''Polylepis'' is a genus comprising 28 recognised shrub and tree species, that are endemic to the mid- and high-elevation regions of the tropical Andes. This group is unique in the rose family in that it is predominantly wind-pollinated. They are ...

'' woodland and cultivated areas in Bolivia and seems tolerant of disturbance to its habitat.

Ecology

The pleasant bolo mouse is diurnal and seems to feed mostly on insects.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q305893 Necromys Mammals of Bolivia Mammals of Peru Mammals described in 1900 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot