NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Ecuadoran Spiny Pocket Mouse
Heteromys teleus Anderson & Jarrín-Valladares, 2002
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Ecuadoran spiny pocket mouse (Heteromys teleus) is a species of rodent in the family Heteromyidae. It is endemic to central western Ecuador, where it is found at elevations from sea level to 2000 m on the coastal plain and western slopes of the Andes. The species is nocturnal and lives in dry tropical evergreen forests of the southernmost extension of the Choco; it creates well-defined runways, and is often found near streams. It is threatened by deforestation and fragmentation of its remaining habitat.
Wikipedia contributors, Ecuadoran spiny pocket mouse; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:47:56.037243+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Heteromys teleus Anderson & Jarrín-Valladares, 2002
- Name authority
- Anderson & Jarrín-Valladares, 2002
- Common name
- Ecuadoran Spiny Pocket Mouse
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Heteromyidae
- Genus
- Heteromys
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderCastorimorpha A. E. Wood, 1955
- familyHeteromyidae Gray, 1868
- subfamilyHeteromyinae Gray, 1868
- genusHeteromys Desmarest, 1817
- speciesHeteromys teleus Anderson & Jarrín-Valladares, 2002
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Heteromys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Paraguaná Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys oasicus Anderson, 2003 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Gaumer's Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys gaumeri J. A. Allen & Chapman, 1897 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Nelson's Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys nelsoni Merriam, 1902 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mexican Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys irroratus Gray, 1868 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Painted Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys pictus Thomas, 1893 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Salvin's Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys salvini Thomas, 1893 | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Jaliscan Spiny Pocket MouseHeteromys spectabilis (Genoways, 1971) | HeteromyidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=900641 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:6LSHL. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.