Fukomys hanangensis
| Fukomys hanangensis | ||||||||||||
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Holotype of Fukomys hanangensis |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Fukomys hanangensis | ||||||||||||
| Faulkes , Mgode , Archer , Bennett , 2017 |
Fukomys hanangensis is a kind of fukomys ( Fukomys ) within the blesmol (Bathyergidae) which is adapted especially to the underground and grave lifestyle. The species was described in 2017 by a working group led by Chris G. Faulkes and has so far only been documented from the region around Mount Hanang and Mbulu in Tanzania .
features
Fukomys hanangensis is a comparatively small to medium-sized gray mullet and reaches a head-torso length of about 11 centimeters, the weight is about 35 to 140 grams, the males being a bit heavier on average. The very short tail is about 12.2 millimeters long, the rear foot length is 23.1 millimeters. There is no pronounced sexual dimorphism . The back color of the animals is yellowish brown to dark brown with a shorter and black undercoat. The animals have no lighter spot on their foreheads.
Compared to the Fukomys livingstoni described at the same time , F. hanangensis has a slightly longer and wider skull with a longer and higher snout region. Fukomys hanangensis is difficult to distinguish from other African gray mullies on the basis of external characteristics. The species is primarily characterized by specific skull features, allometric data, and genetic features.
distribution
Fukomys hanangensis has so far only been documented from the region around Mount Hanang and Mbulu in Tanzania . The described animals from the Hanang region come from several colonies near the villages of Gitting and Jorodom at an altitude of about 1900 meters, those from the area around Mbulu from about 2100 meters.
Way of life
No specific information is available about the way of life of Fukomys hanangensis , but it probably corresponds to the closely related gray mull . Like other gray mulls, the animals live underground and socially in colonies. They are herbivorous and feed on underground tubers, roots and other parts of plants. The colonies of the type specimens were located in grassland areas in close proximity to agricultural areas for growing maize, sugar cane, cassava and bananas.
Systematics
Fukomys hanangensis is a distinct species within the genus of fukomys ( Fukomys belongs), which consists of ten to fourteen species. The first scientific description comes from a working group led by Chris G. Faulkes from 2017, who described the species using a sexually active female as a type and 39 other individuals. During investigations in 2010, based on preliminary genetic data, the group had already established that a species separate from the known African species exists in the Hanang area, which they were able to describe with reliable data in 2017. The species was named after the mountain and the Hanang region in which the species was discovered.
Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
Fukomys hanangensis is not yet classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), and no information on the size of the population is available.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h C.G. Faulkes, GF Mgode, EK Archer, NC Bennett: Relic populations of Fukomys mole-rats in Tanzania: description of two new species F. livingstoni sp. nov. and F. hanangensis sp. nov. PeerJ 5, e3214, 2017. doi : 10.7717 / peerj.3214
- ↑ Chris G. Faulkes, Georgies F. Mgode, Steven C. Le Comber, Nigel C. Bennett: Cladogenesis and endemism in Tanzanian mole-rats, genus Fukomys: (Rodentia Bathyergidae): a role for tectonics? Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 100 (2), June 1, 2010; Pp. 337-352. doi : 10.1111 / j.1095-8312.2010.01418.x
literature
- CG Faulkes, GF Mgode, EK Archer, NC Bennett: Relic populations of Fukomys mole-rats in Tanzania: description of two new species F. livingstoni sp. nov. and F. hanangensis sp. nov. PeerJ 5, e3214, 2017. doi : 10.7717 / peerj.3214
