Akodon is a genus consisting of South American grass mice. They mostly occur south of the Amazon Basin and along the Andes north to Venezuela, but are absent from much of the basin itself, the far south of the continent, and the lowlands west of the Andes. Akodon is one of the most species-rich genera of Neotropical rodents. Species of Akodon are known to inhabit a variety of habitats from tropical and tropical moist forests to altiplano and desert. Fossils are known from the late Pliocene onwards.

Taxonomy

Akodon is the largest genus in the tribe Akodontini. Three of its synonyms—Chalcomys, Hypsimys, and particularly Microxus—have sometimes been regarded as distinct genera. Neomicroxus was separated in 2013. Previously associated with Akodon, the genera Abrothrix, Deltamys, Necromys, Thalpomys, and Thaptomys are currently recognized as distinct. Some species of the tribe Abrotrichini are called akodons.

The genus contains the following species:

• Akodon aerosus

• Akodon affinis

• Akodon albiventer

• Akodon azarae

• Akodon boliviensis

• Akodon budini

• Akodon caenosus

• Akodon cursor

• Akodon dayi

• Akodon dolores

• Akodon fumeus

• Akodon glaucinus

• Akodon iniscatus

• Akodon juninensis

• Akodon kofordi

• Akodon lindberghi

• Akodon lutescens

• Akodon mimus

• Akodon molinae

• Akodon mollis

• Akodon montensis

• Akodon mystax

• Akodon neocenus

• Akodon orophilus

• Akodon paranaensis

• Akodon pervalens

• Akodon philipmyersi

• Akodon polopi

• Akodon reigi

• Akodon sanctipaulensis

• Akodon serrensis

• Akodon siberiae

• Akodon simulator

• Akodon spegazzinii

• Akodon subfuscus

• Akodon surdus

• Akodon sylvanus

• Akodon tartareus

• Akodon toba

• Akodon torques

• Akodon varius

Footnotes

References

Literature cited

• Braun, J.K., Coyner, B.S., Mares, M.A. and Van Den Bussche, R.A. 2008. Phylogenetic relationships of South American grass mice of the . Journal of Mammalogy 89(3):768-777.

• Braun, J. K., M. A. Mares, B. S. Coyner, and R. A. Van Den Bussche. 2010. New species of . Journal of Mammalogy, 91(2):387–400.

• D'Elía, G., Jayat, J.P., Ortiz, P.E., Salazar-Bravo, J. and Pardiñas, U.F.J. 2011. (first page). Zootaxa 2744:62–64.

• Jayat, J.P., Ortiz, P.E., Salazar-Bravo, J., Pardiñas, U.F.J. and D'Elía, G. 2010. The (abstract). Zootaxa 2409:1–61.

• Musser, G.G. and Carleton, M.D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp.894–1531 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2vols., 2142pp.

• Pardiñas, U.F.J., D'Elía, G., Cirignoli, S. and Suarez, P. 2005. A new species of . Journal of Mammalogy 86(3):462–474.

• Pardiñas, U.F.J., Teta, P., D'Elía, G. and Diaz, G.B. 2011. Taxonomic status of (abstract). Zootaxa 2749:47–61.