Taxonomy
This rat was first described by Cunha and Cruz in 1979 and is named in honour of the Brazilian naturalist Augusto Ruschi (1915 - 1986).Description
A medium-sized rodent, Ruschi's rat has a broad head and rounded ears. Adults have a total length of between , about half of which is the tail. The fur is short and dense. Some of the hairs are slender while others are spiny, especially on the back and rump; each spiny hair is flattened and stiff, with a longitudinal groove, and is broadest in the middle. The fur is agouti (banded in light and dark), and there is little difference in shade between the greyish-yellow upper parts of the animal and the slightly paler underparts.Distribution
Ruschi's rat is native to eastern South America. TheEcology
This species is poorly known. It has been caught in traps set on the ground so it is probably terrestrial rather than arboreal, and this is borne out by its anatomy. Observations of one individual feeding suggests that the diet is mainly fruits, seeds and foliage.Status
''A. ruschii'' is found in forests in southeastern Brazil and northern Argentina. Although some of the forest is fragmented, the rat has a wide range and no particular threats have been identified. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of least concern.References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1633510 Thomasomyini Rodents of South America Mammals of Argentina Mammals of Brazil Mammals described in 1979 zh:闊面倉鼠屬