575.

Gray-tailed Ethiopian Rat

Stenocephalemys griseicauda

French: Rat 4 queue grise / German: Grauschwanz-Hochlandratte / Spanish: Rata de Etiopia de cola gris

Other common names: Gray-tailed Narrow-headed Rat, Gray-tailed Stenocephalemys

Taxonomy. Stenocephalemys griseicauda Petter, 1972, Dinsho, Bale Mountains

, Ethiopia.

This

species

is

monotypic

.

Distribution. W & E of the Rift Valley, Ethiopia. Descriptive notes. Head-body 130-175 mm, tail 105-160 mm, ear 20-30 mm, hindfoot 25-33 mm; weight 70-136 g. Fur of the Gray-tailed Ethiopian Rat is sandybrown to dull brown above, paler on flanks, and grayish white below. Tail is long (¢.93% of head-body length), gray above and below and mostly naked. Eyes have faint dark rings. Ears are large, gray, and lightly furred. Hindfeet and forefeet are white. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 54 and FN = 54-58. Habitat. Upland grasslands and scrub, extending marginally into moorlands,at elevations of 2400-3500 m. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. Breedingis restricted to the wet season (May-December). Activity patterns. The Gray-tailed Ethiopian Ratis presumably nocturnal and terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust. Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Lavrenchenko et al. (1997), Monadjem et al. (2015), Miller (1977), Petter (1972b), Rupp (1980), Yalden & Largen (1992). 576. Rupp’s Ethiopian Rat Stenocephalemys ruppi French: Rat de Rupp / German: Rupp-Hochlandratte / Spanish: Rata de Etiopia de Rupp Other common names: Rupp’s Mouse, Rupp’s Stenocephalemys Taxonomy. Praomys ruppi Van der Straeten & Dieterlen, 1983, Bonke, 2800-3200 m, north of Bulta, Gemu-Gofa, Ethiopia. This taxon was previously placed in the genus Praomys, but moved to Stenocephalemys based on morphological grounds. Monotypic. Distribution. Gughe Mts, W of Rift Valley, Ethiopia. ey Descriptive notes. Head-body 124-— [7 £4 138 mm, tail 143-179 mm, ear 23-26 mm, i hindfoot 30-33 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Fur of Rupp’s Ethiopian Ratis sandy-brown above and grayish white below; upper and lower surfaces are delineated by yellow line. Tail is very long (c.122% of head-body length), gray above, pale below, and mostly naked. Ears are large, gray, and lightly furred. Hindfeet and forefeet are white. Females have five pairs of nipples. Habitat. Montane forest and scrub at elevations of 2700-3200 m. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. Rupp’s Ethiopian Ratis presumably nocturnal and terrestrial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Van der Straeten & Dieterlen (1983), Yalden & Largen (1992).

577

. African Wading Rat Colomys gosling French

: Rat de Gosling / German: Afrikanische Waldbachmaus / Spanish: Raton vadeador de Africa Other

common names: African Water Rat, Velvet Mouse, Velvet Wading Rat Taxonomy. Colomys goslingi Thomas & Wroughton, 1907, “Gambi, Welle River]. [= Uele River],” DR Congo. Because of convergent similarities between C. goslingi and Nilopegamys plumbeus, they were previously confused as the same species, but several diagnostic characters distinguish them. Five previously described subspecies are probably not valid. Monotypic.

Distribution. Disjunct range from Cameroon E to S South Sudan and W Kenya and S throughout NE & S DR Congo to NE Angola and NW Zambia, with an isolated record from Liberia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 120-132 mm, tail 155-180 mm, ear 18-20 mm, hindfoot 32-38 mm; weight 45-64 g. Dorsal fur of the African Wading Rat is buffy brown, dense, and velvety, making it buoyant and waterproof. Ventral fur, sides of

body, arms, and legs are pure white. Muzzle is thickened, with dense vibrissae to probe for aquatic invertebrates in shallow streams. Brain size is enlarged compared with similarsized rodents. Ears are small and darkly colored, with small auricular white spots. Tail is very long (c.130% of head-body length), darker above than below, and scaly. Hindlimbs are long (30-37% of head-body length), with partly webbed toes. Forefeet and hindfeet are white, with four long digits on forefeet (first digit is rudimentary but with small claw) and five long digits on hindfeet.

Habitat. Streams in tropical rainforest at 400-3200 m (less common below 800 m).

Food and Feeding. The African Wading Rat mostly eats aquatic invertebrates, butit also preys on tadpoles, small fish, and terrestrial invertebrates.

Breeding. In DR Congo, pregnant African Wading Rats and youngwere recorded in September-March. Mean number of embryos per female was 2 (range 1-3). Both sexes become sexually active at weights of ¢.50 g.

Activity patterns. The African Wading Ratis nocturnal and semi-aquatic.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. African Wading Rats live singly or in pairs. Linear home ranges ofan individual or pair are 100-300 m of stream.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Dieterlen (1983), Dieterlen & Statzner (1981), Happold (2013a), Kerbis Peterhans & Patterson (1995), Kingdon (1974), Monadjem et al. (2015), Stephan & Dieterlen (1982).