Brush hair mice
| Brush hair mice | ||||||||||||
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Lophuromys sikapusi |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lophuromys | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1874 |
The brush hair mice ( Lophuromys ) are a genus of long-tailed mice that is widespread in sub- Saharan Africa . They are characterized by their unusual color for mice and their bristly hair.
features
The fur colors vary greatly from species to species. The top is colored beige, gray or brown; some species have white or orange spots. The colorful underside, which can be orange, cream-colored or cinnamon-brown, is striking. The length of the head body varies between 9 and 16 cm, depending on the species. There are two types of tail length: In the subgenus Kivumys , the tail is roughly body length; however it is much shorter in the subgenus Lophuromys and only reaches half the length of the head.
distribution and habitat
Brush hair mice are found in a variety of habitats. They inhabit savannahs as well as rainforests . Their distribution ranges from the rainforest belt of West Africa and the Ethiopian highlands to Central and East Africa to Angola and Mozambique . They are missing in South Africa . The main distribution center is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , where most of the species are native.
Way of life
All species, including those that live in the forest, stay on the ground and do not climb. There are diurnal as well as nocturnal species in the genus. Nests of dry grass are created under stones, roots and branches. They live solitary; if two conspecifics collide, there is usually violent fighting, which can result in torn off ears and tails. The mice also give birth to their young in the nests. There are one to five cubs per litter, and a brush-haired mouse can raise six litters in a year.
Vegetable food is mostly only complementary food for brush hair mice. They feed on animal food to an extent of 40 to 100%. These are mainly ants , but also other insects and even small frogs .
Systematics
The two sub-genera Lophuromys and Kivumys can be easily differentiated from each other. In addition to the differences in tail length already mentioned, the hind legs (long in Kivumys , short in Lophuromys ), the ears (large in Kivumys , small in Lophuromys ) and the claws (short in Kivumys , long in Lophuromys ) are particularly striking distinguishing features.
- Subgenus Kivumys
- Woosnam's brush-haired mouse, Lophuromys woosnami , mountain regions in the east of the Dem. Rep. Congo, in western Uganda as well as in Rwanda and Burundi
- Yellow-bellied brush hair mouse , Lophuromys luteogaster , northeast. Dem. Rep. Congo
- Lophuromys medicaudatus , eastern Dem. Rep. Congo, Rwanda
- Subgenus Lophuromys
- Lophuromys angolensis
- Lophuromys aquilus
- Lophuromys brevicaudus
- Lophuromys brunneus
- Lophuromys chrysopus
- Gray brush hair mouse , Lophuromys cinereus , eastern Dem. Rep. Congo
- Lophuromys dieterleni
- Lophuromys dudui
- Lophuromys eisentrauti , Cameroon
- Yellow-spotted brush mouse, Lophuromys flavopunctatus , East Africa, south-central Africa, Ethiopia
- Lophuromys huttereri
- Black claws brush hair mouse , Lophuromys melanonyx , Ethiopian highlands
- Fire-bellied whisker mouse, Lophuromys nudicaudus , Cameroon, Gabon , Equatorial Guinea
- Rahms Brush Hair Mouse , Lophuromys rahmi , eastern Dem. Rep. Congo, Rwanda
- Lophuromys roseveari
- Lophuromys rubecula
- Rust-bellied hairbrush mouse , Lophuromys sikapusi , West and Central Africa
- Lophuromys Verhageni
- Lophuromys zena
The spiny mice ( Acomys ) are considered close relatives of the brush hair mice . With these and other genera they form the subfamily Deomyinae .
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
