Mastozoología Neotropical Instituto Argentino de Investigación de las Zonas Aridas
[email protected] ISSN (Versión impresa): 0327-9383 ISSN (Versión en línea): 1666-0536 ARGENTINA 2003 Hugh H. Genoways / Robert M. Timm THE XENARTHRANS OF NICARAGUA. LOS XENARTHRA DE NICARAGUA Mastozoología Neotropical, julio-diciembre, año/vol. 10, número 002 Instituto Argentino de Investigación de las Zonas Aridas San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina pp. 321-253 Red de Revistas Científicas de América Látina y el Caribe, España y Portugal Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México Mastozoología Neotropical / J. Neotrop. Mammal.; 10(2):231-253 ISSN 0327-9383 ©SAREM, 2003 Versión on-line ISSN 1666-0536 THE XENARTHRANS OF NICARAGUA Hugh H. Genoways and Robert M. Timm University of Nebraska State Museum and School of Natural Resource Sciences, W436 Nebraska Hall, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588-0514, USA. Natural History Museum & Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045- 7561, USA. ABSTRACT. The mammalian fauna of Nicaragua includes seven species in the order Xenarthra, including the brown-throated three-toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) in the family Bradypodidae, Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni) in the family Megalonychidae, the northern naked-tailed armadillo (Cabassous centralis) and nine-banded armadillo (Dasy- pus novemcinctus) in the family Dasypodidae, and the silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) and northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana) in the family Myrmecophagidae. Additionally, the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) in the family Myrmecophagidae is (or was) certainly part of the fauna of Nicaragua but has yet to be documented there. Based on 133 xenarthran specimens available in museums and our observations, we herein review and provide new information on distributions, systematics, morphometrics, and natural history of these species in Nicaragua.