Central African gray mull

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Central African gray mull
Systematics
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Porcupine relatives (Hystricomorpha)
Partial order : Hystricognathi
Family : Sand graves (Bathyergidae)
Genre : Gray Owl ( Fukomys )
Type : Central African gray mull
Scientific name
Fukomys ochraceocinereus
( Heuglin , 1864)

The ocher-colored or Central African gray mull ( Fukomys ochraceocinereus , syn .: Cryptomys ochraceocinereus ) is a species of gray mole ( Fukomys ) within the sand burrows (Bathyergidae), which is mainly adapted to the underground and burrowing way of life. The species occurs in central Africa south of the Sahara from the Central African Republic to South Sudan .

features

The Central African gray mull is a medium-sized gray mull and reaches a head-trunk length of 15.7 to 20.0 centimeters. The very short tail is about 14.0 to 27.0 millimeters long, the rear foot length is 27 to 35 millimeters. There is no pronounced sexual dimorphism , the females and males differ neither in size nor in color. The back fur of the animals is short, dense and soft. The back color is medium brown, partly with a silvery effect. The color of the peritoneum corresponds to the back. Many individuals have a conspicuous round white spot with a diameter of about 5 to 15 millimeters on the forehead, but this can also be missing regionally (especially in Uganda). The eyes are blue and surrounded by a distinct white eye ring. The fore and hind feet are small, broad and hairless. Both the front and rear feet have five toes with sharp claws and the rear feet have short ridges of pale white hair on the base of the foot. The tail is short and reaches about 10% of the length of the head and torso. It is barely visible and has short, bristle-like hair. The females have a pair of teats in the chest area and one in the loin, making a total of 4 teats. The genome consists of a diploid chromosome set of 2n = 44 chromosomes (FN = 76).

The skull length is 39.7 to 48.2 millimeters and at the widest point the skull is 27.1 to 32.9 millimeters wide. The row of teeth from the fourth premolar to the last molar of the upper jaw is 6.9 to 8.8 millimeters long. As with all other gray bulls, it is strongly built, the molars are small and simple. The infraorbital window of this type is round-oval and thick-walled. The upper incisors are not grooved.

distribution

The Central African gray mull occurs in central Africa south of the Sahara in the savannah area north of the rainforests from the Central African Republic through parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda to South Sudan . Other occurrences are possible in parts of Cameroon and in northwestern Kenya , but this is considered unsafe.

Way of life

The Central African gray mull lives underground in the tree savannah , for example in Isoberlinia populations, and in agricultural areas. Very little information is available on the biology of the species, but it probably corresponds to that of other gray mulls. Like other gray mulls, the animals live in colonies in complex underground burrows that reach a total length of about 320 meters and have numerous ejection sites. These are 7 to 10 centimeters high and have a diameter of 20 to 25 centimeters at the base, they are unevenly distributed and often present in clusters of three to four closely spaced mounds. A widened area in the corridors forms the nest, which is laid out with grasses and pieces of roots. The animals are herbivorous and feed on underground tubers, roots and other parts of plants. In the Garamba National Park , yams are an important source of food.

Systematics

The Central African gray mull 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 the German naturalist Theodor von Heuglin from 1864, who described the animals from the upper reaches of the Bahr al-Ghazal in the south of Sudan, today South Sudan, under the name Georychus ochraceocinereus . The species was later transferred to the genus Cryptomys , in 2006 this genus was separated into two genus on the basis of molecular biological characteristics. The Central African gray mullet was assigned to the new genus Fukomys with most of the other species , but the split was not generally accepted. In some cases, the Central African gray gull was considered a synonym for the Nigerian gray gull ( Fukomys foxi ).

In addition to the nominate form, no subspecies are currently distinguished within the species . Wilson & Reeder 2005 lists besides the nominate Cryptomys ochraceocinereus ochraceocinereus however Cryptomys ochraceocinereus oweni as second subspecies.

Status, threat and protection

The Central African gray mull is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the comparatively large and largely untouched distribution area and the assumed large populations, although the animals are rarely seen. There are no known threats to the species and the habitats are relatively safe from changes.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Nigel C. Bennett: Cryptomys ochraceocinereus - Ocher Mole-Rat In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 660-661; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
  2. ↑ a b c R.L. Honeycutt: Ocher Mole-rat - Fukomys ochraceocinereus. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editors): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016; Pp. 368-369. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4 .
  3. ↑ Colleen M. Ingram, Hynek Burda, Rodney L. Honeycutt: Molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy of the African mole-rats, genus Cryptomys and the new genus Coetomys Gray, 1864. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31 (3), 2004; Pp. 997-1014. doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2003.11.004
  4. ↑ Dieter Kock, Colleen M. Ingram, Lawrence J. Frabotta, Rodney L. Honeycutt, Hynek Burda: On the nomenclature of Bathyergidae and Fukomys n. Gen. (Mammalia: Rodentia). Zootaxa 1142, 2006; Pp. 51-55.
  5. ↑ a b Cryptomys ochraceocinereus . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
  6. ↑ a b c d Fukomys ochraceocinereus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.2. Posted by: S. Maree, C. Faulkes, 2008. Retrieved October 4, 2016.

literature

  • Nigel C. Bennett: Cryptomys ochraceocinereus - Ocher Mole-Rat In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 660-661; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
  • RL Honeycutt: Ocher Mole-rat - Fukomys ochraceocinereus. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editors): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6), Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016; Pp. 368-369. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4 .

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