New species of Ctenomys Blainville 1826 : (Rodentia : Ctenomyidae) from the lowlands and central valleys of Bolivia

The genus Ctenomys Blainville 1826 is one of the most diverse of South American hystricognath rodents. Currently, nine species of tuco-tucos are reported from Bolivia, four at elevations above 2,000 m and five inhabiting the lowlands (< 1,000 m). In the present paper, morphology, karyology, and phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequences for a mitochondrial locus were used to assess the taxonomic status of specimens of Ctenomys from localities beyond the previously known ranges of these rodents in the departments of Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and Tarija. Based on these analyses, we describe four new species in the genus Ctenomys, all apparently endemic to the country. In addition, we place Ctenomys goodfellowi Thomas 1921 in synonymy under C. boliviensis Waterhouse 1848 and confirm the presence of C. nattereri Wagner 1848 as a denizen of the eastern lowlands; therefore the total number of documented extant species of Ctenomys in Bolivia is now 12.