Toad dwarf
| Toad dwarf | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Mus bufo | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1906) |
The toad dwarf ( Mus bufo ) is a rodent in the subfamily of Old World mice that is found in central areas of Africa .
features
As the German name suggests, the species is a small member of the genus Mice with a head-to-trunk length of 63 to 78 mm, a tail length of 61 to 74 mm and a weight of 6 to 16 g . It has hind feet 13 to 18 mm long and ears 10 to 13 mm long. The fur on the upper side consists of gray to light brown woolen hair as well as long and slightly bristly outer hairs that are dark gray to black at the roots. The remaining areas of the top hair are reddish brown, which results in a copper-brown coat color. In different individuals there is a yellow border line which separates the dark upper side from the shorter and light gray-brown fur on the lower side. There are no light spots in front of or behind the dark ears. The tail is characterized by a dense pattern of scales with short bristles in the spaces that are black on top and white on the underside. Females have three pairs of teats on their breasts and one pair on their groin.
distribution
Until the 2010s, the toad dwarf was only known from the western branch of the East African Trench . It lives there in areas between 1500 and 3000 meters above sea level in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Uganda , Rwanda and Burundi . A 2014 study suggests that mouse populations in the north of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the Central African Republic and in western Kenya also belong to this species.
The toad dwarf prefers moist mountain forests, wetlands with koso trees or other trees, and areas with bamboo of the species Yushania alpina . At the edge of the forest it is mostly to be found in clusters of plants of the genera heather , ragweeds , lobelia and everlasting flowers . In cultivated landscapes, the species can often be found in fields with napier grass . Occasionally heathland with isolated bushes is visited.
Way of life
The toad dwarf is a predominantly nocturnal animal. According to examining the stomach contents of various specimens, it mainly eats plant parts such as seeds and tubers with a high starch content . Remnants of the chitin-containing shell of insects were only recorded in a few individuals . The results of the few investigations suggest a reproductive time over the whole year. Two females were pregnant with 3 and 4 embryos, respectively .
Danger
There are no threats to the population of the species. The IUCN lists the toad dwarf as Least Concern .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Mus bufo ).
- ↑ a b c Jonathan Kingdon et al .: Mammals of Africa . Bloomsbury Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4081-8996-2 , pp. 477-478 ( Mus bufo ).
- ↑ a b Mus bufo in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Amori, G., 2016. Retrieved on February 22 2020th
- ^ A b Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 7 - Rodents II . Lynx Edicions, 2017, ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 , pp. 792 (English).