LA SELVA-BRAULIO CARRILLO MAMMALS 131 



major vertebrate predators on the seeds and as principal dispersal agents, although 

 Larson and Howe (1987) noted the lack of data on the actual effect of agoutis on 

 specific species. One of the best places to observe agoutis at La Selva is the pejibaye 

 grove. 



Single agoutis were seen by members of our group at 100 m and 300 m within 

 Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo. The natural history of the agouti in Central 

 America, based primarily on studies at Barro Colorado Island, Panama, was detailed 

 by Smythe (1978). 



Family Echimyidae 



Hoplomys gymnurus 

 Armored Rat, Raton 



Armored or thick-spined rats are distributed from the Caribbean lowlands of 

 extreme southeastern Honduras south through the tropical lowlands of Nicaragua. 

 Costa Rica, and Panama to western Colombia and Ecuador. Two subspecies are 

 known from Costa Rica, Hoplomys gymnurus goethalsi from southern Costa Rica 

 and adjacent Panama and H. g. truei from central, eastern, and northern Costa Rica. 



We obtained a single adult that was crossing a log over the Rio Cantarrana 

 at 280 m. Armored rats are certainly present at La Selva. although we know little 

 of their abundance because they are rarely observed. Vandermeer et al. (1979) 

 reported that they were able to capture Hoplomys in live traps using the fruit of 

 the palm Welfia georgii as bait. They also noted that H. gymnurus readily con- 

 sumed the mesocarp of W. georgii and would also eat the seeds if other foods were 

 not available. It is likely that H. gymnurus and the closely related and similarly 

 sized spiny rat, Proechimys semispinosus, are major food items of bushmasters. 



Specimens examined (3)— Finca La Selva, 3 km S of Puerto Viejo [2 females, 

 UMMZ]; 11 km S, 4.5 km W of Puerto Viejo, 280 m [1 female, FMNH]. 



Proechimys semispinosus 

 Tomes' Spiny Rat, Raton 



Tomes' spiny rat is widely distributed at lower elevations from southeastern 

 Honduras and eastern Nicaragua through Costa Rica except in the northwest and 

 along the western Andean lowlands of South America to southwestern Ecuador. 

 Although the group is in need of revision, three subspecies of spiny rats are recog- 

 nized from Costa Rica (Gardner 1983c): Proechimys semispinosus rubellus is known 

 only from Pacuare, the type locality; P. s. centralis is found in northern Costa 

 Rica with the exception of Guanacaste; and P. s. panamensis is found throughout 

 the rest of the country. This species is captured occasionally at La Selva. although 

 we know little of its biology in Central America. Greene (1988) reported that 

 bushmasters prey primarily on spiny rats at La Selva. 



Specimens examined (4)— Puerto Viejo, 100 m [1 male. KU]: Finca La Selva. 

 3 km S of Puerto Viejo [2 males, UMMZ]; 5.7 mi S of Puerto Viejo [1 female, 

 LACM]. 



Additional record (1)— 7.3 mi SE of Puerto Viejo [1 male. TTU]. 



