Hylomyscus vulcanorum

589.

Albertine Rift Wood Mouse

Hylomyscus vulcanorum

French: Hylomysque des volcans / German: Vulkan-Afrikawaldmaus / Spanish: Ratén de bosque del Valle Albertino

Other common names: \/olcano Hylomyscus, Volcano Wood Mouse

Taxonomy. Praomys (Hylomyscus) denniae vulcanorum Lonnberg & Gyldenstolpe, 1925, Birunga (= Virunga) Volcanoes, Mount Karisimbi, 3800 m, DR Congo.

Hylomyscus vulcanorum previously was a subspecies of H. denniae but elevated to a distinct species in the H. denniae species group. Monotypic.

Distribution. C Albertine Rift in E DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 81-107 mm, tail 117-155 mm, ear 16-22 mm, hindfoot 19-22 mm; weight 16-30 g. Along with other members of the H. denniae species group—the Montane Wood Mouse (H. denniae) and the Mount Kenya Wood Mouse (H. endorobae)—the Albertine Rift Wood Mouse is among the largest and darkest species of Hylomyscus. Fur is dark brownish gray above (without rufous tinge except for flanks and cheeks) and brownish white below. Tail is very long (c.140% of head-body length), ringed with small dark scales, and sparsely covered with short dark hair. Females have four pairs of nipples. Incisors are opisthodont.

Habitat. Montane forest and other alpine and subalpine habitats at elevations above 1670 m.

Food and Feeding. Albertine Rift Wood Mice mostly eat insects but also fruits and starchy matter (Virunga Mountains). In eastern DR Congo, stomachs contained mostly vegetative material, with low occurrence of insects.

Breeding. Breeding occurs year-round, but it ismuch reduced during wet season in October-May, with 9% of females pregnant or lactating compared to 47-80% at other times of the year.

Activity patterns. Albertine Rift Wood Mice are presumably arboreal and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red List.

Bibliography. Bishop (1979), Carleton et al. (2006), Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Verschuren et al. (1983).