Congo wood mouse
Congo wood mouse | ||||||||||||
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Deomys ferrugineus | ||||||||||||
Thomas , 1888 |
The Congo wood mouse or insectivorous wood mouse ( Deomys ferrugineus ) is a species of tree mice that is native to the rainforests of Central Africa. Despite its name, it has nothing to do with the European wood mouse ; Because of its different characteristics, it is placed in its own subfamily Deomyinae together with some other African mice , but is sometimes also assigned to the tree mice.
The head body length of the Congo wood mouse is 12 to 14 cm, with a tail 15 to 21 cm. The fur is reddish brown on top and black in the middle of the back; the underside is white. The very long, thin tail and the large, round ears are striking.
The Congo wood mouse has a purely ground-dwelling way of life. Under the tree roots she builds a nest out of leaves and other plant parts. In the twilight she goes foraging on the forest floor. 90% of the food consists of insects, vegetable food is only taken as complementary food. The small number of young in a litter is also unusual; it is one to three.
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 .
Web links
- Illustration of a Congo wood mouse
- Deomys ferrugineus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Schlitter, D. & Kerbis Peterhans, J., 2008. Retrieved December 31, 2013.