413.

Yalden’s Rat

Desmomys yaldeni

French: Rat de Yalden / German: Yalden-Strohratte / Spanish: Rata de Yalden

Other common names: Yalden's Desmomys

Taxonomy. Desmomys yaldeni Lavrenchenko, 2003,

Sheko Forest, 1930 m, Ethiopia.

Desmomys yaldeni 1s distinguished from D. harringtoni by havingmore gracile dentition, shorter fur, and slightly longer tail that is not bicolored. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from Sheko Forest, in W Ethiopia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 117-132 mm, tail 141-145 mm, ear 17-5-18 mm, hindfoot 27-29 mm; weight 45— 49 g. Furis short, sandy brown and black-flecked above, and grayish white below with a mid-ventral light orange band. Tail is relatively long (115% of head-body length), black above and yellowish below, but owing to very short hairs is not obviously bicolored in appearance. Ears are small and rounded, sparsely haired, and blackish with short rufous hairs on inner surface. Feet are dark dorsally, with four digits on forefoot and five on hindfoot.

Habitat. Disturbed humid Afro-montane forest.

Food and Feeding. Diet may include invertebrates and fruits.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Yalden’s Rat is presumably nocturnal and partly arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Lavrenchenko (2003), Lavrenchenko & Verheyen (2005).