PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Marcial Quiroga-Carmona
AU  - Jay F. Storz
AU  - Guillermo D’Elía
TI  - Elevational and latitudinal range extensions of the puna mouse, <em>Punomys</em> (Cricetidae), with the first record of the genus from Chile
AID  - 10.1101/2023.03.07.531530
DP  - 2023 Jan 01
TA  - bioRxiv
PG  - 2023.03.07.531530
4099  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/03/10/2023.03.07.531530.short
4100  - http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2023/03/10/2023.03.07.531530.full
AB  - We report an elevational record for the Andean sigmodontine puna mouse Punomys, which is also the first record of the genus in Chile. The record is based on a mummified specimen that we discovered at an elevation of 5,461 m (17,917’) in the caldera of Volcán Acamarachi, Región de Antofagasta, Chile. Results of a morphological suggest that the specimen can be provisionally referred to the species P. lemminus. This new record also extends the known geographic distribution of the genus by 700 km to the south and brings the known Chilean mammal richness to a total of 170 living species and 88 genera. This finding highlights the need for increased survey efforts in more remote, high-elevation regions and demonstrates that there is still much to be learned about the mammal fauna of the Andean Altiplano.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.