Basilio's striped mouse
| Basilio's striped mouse | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Hybomys basilii | ||||||||||||
| Eisentraut , 1965 |
Basilio's striped mouse ( Hybomys basilii ) is a rodent from the genus of striped mice ( Hybomys ). It is endemic to the island of Bioko in Equatorial Guinea . Originally it was described as a subspecies of the single- striped mouse ( Hybomys univittatus ), but received the status of an independent species in 1985. The species epithet honors the Spanish zoologist Padre Aurelio Basilio , who carried out research in Equatorial Guinea for a long time.
features
Basilio's striped mouse is the largest species of striped mouse. It reaches a head-torso length of 118 to 160 mm, whereby the males are slightly larger than the females. The tail length is 90 to 132 mm, the hind foot length 29 to 33 mm, the ear length 15 to 20 mm and the weight 70 to 95 g. The skull length is 33.4 to 37.8 mm and the skull width 15.5 to 18.4 mm. The total length of the upper row of teeth from the first incisor to the third molar is 5.9 to 6.7 mm. The fur is long, soft and shiny. The back fur is dark reddish-brown and spotted slightly yellowish-brown. The hair is gray at the base and black at the top, or there is a yellowish-brown subterminal tape with black hair tips. A black dorsal stripe runs across the middle of the back, which becomes indistinct towards the base of the tail. The peritoneum is whitish-gray, with the middle parts of the abdomen usually being lighter in hair. The base of the stomach hair is gray, the tips are dirty white or light gray.
habitat
Basilio's striped mouse lives in closed mountain forests and forest edges with a dense vegetation cover on the Bonyoma and Pico Basile at altitudes between 450 and 2000 m.
Way of life
The way of life is hardly explored. The species is ground-dwelling and predominantly nocturnal. However, activities during the day are also known. Two pregnant females were spotted in October and December. The litter size is one to two young animals.
status
Basil stripes mouse is (by the IUCN in the category of "high risk" endangered ) classified. The species is only known from 36 specimens that Martin Eisentraut collected between October and December 1962 in the Moca Valley on Fernando Póo (today Bioko ). No information is currently available on the population trend; it is believed to be decreasing. Most of the mountain forest habitat has been destroyed by deforestation, clearing for the creation of cocoa plantations and other agricultural activities (crops, grazing cattle). Further research is needed to determine if and where the species survives. Should the distribution area prove to be even smaller than previously assumed, the species could be upgraded to the category “ critically endangered ” . If further searches fail after this type, a classification in the category of "extinct" (would be extinct ) conceivable.
literature
- Rainer Hutterer : Hybomys basilii (Basilio's forest mouse). In: Jonathan Kingdon, Thomas M. Butynski, David CD Happold, Meredith Happold (Eds.): Mammals of Africa. Volume 3: Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London et al. 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 , p. 423.
Web links
- Hybomys basilii inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: van der Straeten, E. & Kerbis Peterhans, J., 2008. Retrieved September 28, 2013.