Black claw brush hair mouse

Black claw brush hair mouse
Systematics
Subordination :	Mouse relatives (Myomorpha)
Superfamily :	Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family :	Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily :	Deomyinae
Genre :	Brush hair mice ( Lophuromys )
Type :	Black claw brush hair mouse
Scientific name
	Lophuromys melanonyx
	Petter , 1972

The black- clawed brush- haired mouse ( Lophuromys melanonyx ) is a rodent in the genus of the brush- haired mouse that is found in Ethiopia .

features

With a head body length of 12 to 18 cm, a tail length of 3 to 10 cm and a weight of 60 to 142 g, the species is the largest brush-haired mouse. It has hind feet 2.1 to 2.5 cm long and ears 1.9 to 2.6 cm long. The bristly hair on the top has gray, brown, and sometimes cream-colored bands, creating a mottled look. The underside is light cream in color with no reddish shades. The tail is light except for the dark upper edge. Its short length is probably an adaptation to the cold weather in the highlands. As the German name suggests, the long black claws contrast with the light gray feet. Striking light orange tufts of hair appear on the sides of the gray ears. Females have two pairs of teats in their groin.

distribution

The species has several separate populations in Ethiopia's central highlands. The distribution area is at an altitude of 3100 to 4300 meters. The habitat is grassy areas with heather ( erica ). The black-clawed brush-haired mouse occasionally visits gallery forests as well as afromontane forests .

Way of life

This rodent forms mixed colonies with Blicks grass rat ( Arvicanthis blicki ) in its underground burrows . These are mainly active in the morning and at lunchtime. The animals retreat to their hiding places in the late afternoon. While the black-clawed bristle -haired mouse prefers dicotyledonous herbs, Blick's grass rat mainly eats monocotyledonous plants, which avoids competition.

Females can breed in all seasons, although most offspring are born in the rainy season. Most females probably have two litters a year with around two pups per litter. The black-clawed brush-haired mouse is a preferred prey of the Ethiopian wolf ( Canis simensis ) and it is believed to fall prey to diurnal birds of prey.

status

In areas that do not belong to the Bale Mountains National Park , the species is threatened by habitat changes due to overgrazing. It is used by the IUCN as endangered (Vulnerable) listed.

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, Lophuromys melanonyx ).
↑ ^a ^b ^c Kingdon, Jonathan (Ed.): Mammals of Africa . A & C Black, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2254-9 , pp. 251-252 (English, Lophuromys nudicaudus ).
↑ ^a ^b Lophuromys melanonyx in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Kennerley, R. & Lavrenchenko, L., 2016. Accessed on March 3 of 2019.

[Wilson-1] 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, Lophuromys melanonyx ).

[Kingdon-2] Kingdon, Jonathan (Ed.): Mammals of Africa . A & C Black, 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2254-9 , pp. 251-252 (English, Lophuromys nudicaudus ).

[IUCN-3] Lophuromys melanonyx in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Kennerley, R. & Lavrenchenko, L., 2016. Accessed on March 3 of 2019.