Itzá-Ortiz and colleagues analyzed the breeding characteristics of a colony of Ototylomys phyllotis (big-eared climbing rat) from Campeche, México, that was bred in captivity for 6 y. The big-eared climbing rat is a reservoir of Leishmania (Leishmania) mexicana, a causal agent of localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) on the Yucatán Peninsula. The authors had established this colony to facilitate studies analyzing the effectiveness of O. phyllotis as an experimental model for L. (L.) mexicana. The housing and husbandry of the colony, the procedures used for mating the animals and the behavior of the animals during mating are described. The authors also assess the suitability of this animal as an experimental model of LCL.

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