Fukomys livingstoni
| Fukomys livingstoni | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Holotype from Fukomys livingstoni |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Fukomys livingstoni | ||||||||||||
| Faulkes , Mgode , Archer , Bennett , 2017 |
Fukomys livingstoni is a species of gray mole ( Fukomys ) within the sand graves (Bathyergidae), which is mainly adapted to the underground and burrowing way of life. 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 Ujiji in Tanzania .
features
Fukomys livingstoni is a comparatively small gray mull and reaches a head-torso length of about 11.5 centimeters, the weight is about 38 to 80 grams, whereby the males are slightly heavier on average. It corresponds roughly to the Mashona gray mull ( Fukomys darlingi ) living in Zimbabwe . The very short tail is about 9 millimeters long, the rear foot length is 22 millimeters. There is no pronounced sexual dimorphism . The back color of the animals is dark brown to dark gray-brown with a shorter and very dark undercoat. The animals have a small and irregular light, light gray to white spot on their foreheads.
Compared to the Fukomys hanangensis described at the same time , F. livingstoni has a shorter and narrower skull with an equally shorter snout region. Fukomys livingstoni differs from the Malawi gray mull ( Fukomys whytei ), which also lives in Tanzania, in its smaller size and color. In addition, the species is characterized by specific skull features, allometric data, and genetic features.
distribution
Fukomy's livingstoni has so far only been documented from the region around the city of Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania . The animals described come from two colonies near the village of Msimba at an altitude of about 2600 meters.
Way of life
No specific information is available about the way of life of Fukomys livingstoni , 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 the immediate vicinity of agricultural areas for growing maize, sweet potatoes, cassava, palms and bananas.
Systematics
Fukomys livingstoni is classified as an independent species within the genus of the gray mull ( Fukomys ), 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 male type and five other individuals. The species was named after the well-known Africa explorer David Livingstone because Ujiji was the place where it was found by Henry Morton Stanley on November 10, 1871 after many thought he was already dead.
Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
Fukomys livingstoni has not yet been classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), and no information on population size is available.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g 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
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
