Zelotomys woosnami

625.

Woosnam'’s Broad-headed Mouse

Zelotomys woosnami

French: Zélotomys de Woosnam / German: \Woosnam-Breitkopfratte / Spanish: Raton de cabeza ancha de WWoosnam

Other common names: \ Woosnam's Zelotomys

Taxonomy. Mus woosnami Schwann, 1906,

“Kuruman,” Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. S Angola through N &E Namibia and Botswana to NW South Africa.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 94-156 mm, tail 77-134 mm, ear 15-21 mm, hindfoot 23-29 mm; weight 50-75 g. Woosnam’s Broad-headed Mouse has a strong smell. Fur is soft and dense, pale gray to buff gray above and white below. Head is not as broad as inHildegarde’s Broadheaded Mouse (Z. hildegardeae). Chin and throat are white. Tail is moderately long (c.85% of head-body length) and entirely white. Ears are oval, darkly pigmented, and covered bysparse short whitish hair. Hindfeet and forefeet are white. Females have five pairs of nipples. Incisors are opisthodont.

Habitat. Arid acacia (Acacia, Fabaceae) savannas extending into miombo (Brachystegia, Fabaceae) woodlands.

Food and Feeding. Woosnam'’s Broad-headed Mouse is omnivorous, eating mainly seeds and animal material.

Breeding. Breeding occurs year-round. Based on embryo numbers, litters have 2-11 young.

Activity patterns. Woosnam'’s Broad-headed Mouse is nocturnal, terrestrial, and partly arboreal, using lower trees.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Birkenstock & Nel (1977), De Graaff (1981), Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Smithers (1971).