Brush-furred mouse

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Brush-furred mouse
Lophuromyssikapusi.jpg
Rusty-bellied brush-furred rat (Lophuromys sikapusi)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Deomyinae
Genus: Lophuromys
Peters, 1874
Type species
Lasiomys afer Temminck, 1853 (= Mus sikapusiTemminck, 1853) [1]
Species

See text

The brush-furred mice, genus Lophuromys are a group of rodents found in sub-Saharan Africa. They are members of the subfamily Deomyinae, a group only identifiable through molecular analysis. Lophuromys is also known as the brush-furred rats, harsh-furred rats or coarse-haired mice.

Contents

Characteristics

The brush-furred mice are so named due to the unique, stiff hairs that make up their pelage. The texture is similar to a soft brush. They are peculiar looking for several reasons. The coat varies depending on species, but ranges from tan to greenish greys and dark brown. Some species have an almost purplish tint to the pelage and others can be speckled. The underside is rusty, orange, brown, or cream-colored. They are chunky mice with relatively short legs.

Most animals have noticeable scars, notched ears, or are missing part of their tails.[ citation needed ] The skin is delicate and the animals appear to use this as a predator avoidance technique. The tail breaks easily and may be lost so that the animal can escape. Once lost, it does not regenerate. The skin tears easily, particularly in strategic positions such as the scruff of the neck. In fact, if an animal is held by the scruff of the neck, it is capable of struggling its way free by tearing itself loose, leaving behind a patch of skin and fur. It is rare to find specimens in museums without sewn-up tears.

Habitat and diet

Brush-furred mice appear to require moist areas and perhaps grasses. They are generally excluded from dry savannahs and forests with dense canopies. They are variable in degree of diurnality versus nocturnality.

They appear to feed more on animal matter than most muroids. The proportion of animal material in the diet ranges from 40 to 100% depending on species. [2] Food consists of ants, other insects and invertebrates, small vertebrates, carrion, and plant matter.

Behaviour

Brush-furred mice are solitary and are reported to fight when placed together. This may contribute to the wounds found on individuals. A brush-furred mouse was recorded to have lived for over 3 years in captivity.

Allopatric speciation appears to have played an important role in shaping the evolution of this genus. Research conducted on the group suggests that isolated species exist a relatively short distance away from one another. Gene flow is either absent or greatly restricted among these isolated pockets. This has led to differences detectable by karyotype, allozymes, and DNA sequencing. The number of recognized species in this genus has increased in recent years and is probably still not representative of the true diversity of this group.

Species

21 species were accepted in this genus in 2005. [1] This number has grown to 34. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deomyinae</span> Subfamily of rodents

The subfamily Deomyinae consists of four genera of mouse-like rodents that were previously placed in the subfamilies Murinae and Dendromurinae. They are sometimes called the Acomyinae, particularly in references that antedate the discovery that the link rat, Deomys ferugineus, is part of the clade. Deomyinae is the older name and therefore has priority over Acomyinae.

The Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat or golden-footed brush-furred rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Ethiopia where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

The yellow-spotted brush-furred rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae found in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. The population in Ethiopia is isolated and can be found at high altitudes up to 4,500 m above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rusty-bellied brush-furred rat</span> Species of rodent

The rusty-bellied brush-furred rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, arable land, and pastureland.

<i>Rhabdomys dilectus</i> Southern African species of mammals belonging to the mouse and rat family of rodents

Rhabdomys dilectus, the mesic four-striped grass rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.

Crawford-Cabral's shaggy rat or Crawford-Cabral's shaggy marsh rat is a species of shaggy marsh rat endemic to north-eastern Namibia, near the Okavango River.

The Rwandan shaggy rat is a species of shaggy marsh rat endemic to north-western Rwanda, close to the Virunga Mountains.

The Tanzanian shaggy rat is a species of shaggy marsh rat endemic to eastern Tanzania, near the Uluguru Mountains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ansorge's brush-furred rat</span> Species of rodent

Ansorge's brush-furred rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It was identified in 1896 by de Winton as L. ansorgei. However, it was widely regarded as L. sicapusi until 2000, when Walter Verheyen, Theo Dierckx, and Jan Hulselmans published a study to the Bulletin of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences describing it as a distinct species.

Thomas's Ethiopian brush-furred rat, also called the brown brush-furred rat or the brown brush-furred mouse, is a species of brush-furred mouse from Southern Ethiopia.

Dudu's brush-furred rat is a rodent belonging to the genus Lophuromys. It is native to the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, from Kisangani to the eastern mountains of Garamba, Blukwa and Djugu to Irangi.

Verhagen's brush-furred rat is a rodent belonging to the genus Lophuromys. It is found between 2600 and 3050 m on Mount Meru in Tanzania. The species is named after Ronald Verhegen for his contributions to the ecology of small mammals of Tanzania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stanley's brush-furred rat</span> Species of rodent

Stanley's brush-furred rat is a species of brush-furred mouse found in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Sabuni's brush-furred rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It has been recorded from Tanzania.

Makundi's brush-furred rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Tanzania.

Machandu's brush furred rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It has been recorded from the Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique.

Kilonzo's brush furred rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It has been recorded from Tanzania.

The Sheko Forest brush-furred rat is a species of brush-furred mouse found in Ethiopia.

The North Western Rift brush-furred rat is a species of brush-furred mouse found in Ethiopia.

The Mount Chercher brush-furred rat is a species of brush-furred mouse found in Ethiopia.

References

  1. 1 2 Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. ↑ Dieterlen, F. (1976). "Die afrikanische Muridengattung Lophuromys Peters, 1874". Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturkunde. A (285).
  3. ↑ "Lophuromys". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists.
  4. 1 2 3 Lavrenchenko, L.A.; Verheyen, W.N.; Verheyen, E.; Hulselmans, J.; Leirs, H. (2007). "Morphometric and genetic study of Ethiopian Lophuromys flavopunctatus Thomas, 1888 species complex with description of three new 70-chromosomal species (Muridae, Rodentia)". Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen, Biologie. 77: 77–117. S2CID   90014299.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Verheyen, W.N.; Hulselmans, J.L.J.; Dierckx, T.; Mulungu, L.; Leirs, H.; Corti, M.; Verheyen, E. (2007). "The characterization of the Kilimanjaro Lophuromys aquilus True 1892 population and the description of five new Lophuromys species (Rodentia, Muridae)". Bulletin van Het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen, Biologie. 77: 23–75.

Further reading

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