Caracterización morfológica de pelos de guardia de seis especies mamíferos pequeños no voladores del occidente de Ecuador

This study presents the morphological characterization of guard hairs from six species of small non-flying mammals. Guard hair samples were obtained from both live individuals and museum specimens, with cuticular and medullary impressions made from the middle portions of the shafts and shields, respectively. A total of 112 samples were collected from the following species: Marmosa simonsi, Metachirus myosorus, Sigmodon peruanus, Aegialomys xanthaeolus, Rattus sp., and Mus musculus. This information can be used for taxonomic identification and, for instance, in the identification of prey items in carnivore and nocturnal raptor diet studies, which are areas lacking information in western Ecuador.