Published December 31, 2005 | Version v1
Taxonomic treatment Open

Dasymys montanus Thomas 1906

Description

Dasymys montanus Thomas 1906

Dasymys montanus Thomas 1906, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 18: 143.

Type Locality: Uganda, Ruwenzori East, Mubuku Valley, 12,500 ft (3810 m); 00°22’N, 30°00’E (W. Verheyen et al., 2003).

Vernacular Names: Ruwenzori Dasymys.

Distribution: Known only from Ruwenzori Mtns, Uganda, between 2600 and 3810 m (Kerbis Peterhans et al., 1998); a montane Western Rift endemic.

Conservation: IUCN – Vulnerable.

Discussion: Usually included in D. incomtus (Delany, 1975), but distinguished from that species by its long, fine fur that is very dark over upperparts and dark gray washed with buff on underparts; very short tail; short rostrum; low, squat cranium; wide zygomatic breadth (Thomas, 1906 a; specimens in BMNH examined by Musser). Dasymys montanus is replaced by D. incomtus at lower altitudes on the E slopes of the Ruwenzoris, and both are recorded from 2600 m, the lowest point for D. montanus and highest for D. incomtus (Kerbis Peterhans et al., 1998). Based on multivariate analyses of craniometric traits derived from holotypes, W. Verheyen et al. (2003) suggested that montanus and medius (holotype from Ruwenzori Mtns at 1800 m) represented the same population and that both taxa were synonyms of D. incomtus. Our study of holotypes and other series, including the material reported by Kerbis Peterhans et al. (1998), indicates D. montanus to be a separate species from the lower-altitude D. incomtus (medius).

Notes

Published as part of Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Muridae, pp. 1189-1531 in Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore :The Johns Hopkins University Press on page 1317, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7316535

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Linked records

Additional details

Biodiversity

Scientific name authorship
Thomas
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Order
Rodentia
Family
Muridae
Genus
Dasymys
Species
montanus
Taxon rank
species
Taxonomic concept label
Dasymys montanus Thomas, 1906 sec. Wilson & Reeder, 2005

References

  • Verheyen, W. N., J. L. J. Hulselmans, T. Dierckx, M. Colyn, H. Leirs, and E. Verheyen. 2003. A craniometric and genetic approach to the systematics of the genus Dasymys Peters, 1875, selection of a neotype and description of three new taxa (Rodentia, Muridae, Africa). Bulletin de L'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Biologie, 73: 27 - 71.
  • Kerbis Peterhans, J. C., R. M. Kityo, W. T. Stanley, and P. K. Austin. 1998. Small mammals along an elevational gradient in Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Uganda. Pp. 149 - 171, in The Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Uganda. Exploration, environment and biology. Conservation, management and community relations (H. Osmaston, J. Tukahirwa, C. Basalirwa, and J. Nyakaana, eds.). Department of Geography, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, 395 pp.
  • Delany, M. J. 1975. The rodents of Uganda. Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History), London, 165 pp.
  • Thomas, O. 1906 a. Descriptions of new mammals from Mount Ruwenzori. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, ser. 7, 18: 136 - 147.