Steatomys caurinus, Thomas, 1912
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6600357 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6600325 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03993828-FFE1-0F45-FF24-FE09C913F909 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Steatomys caurinus |
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North-western Fat Mouse
Steatomys caurinus View in CoL
French: Rat-adipeux du Nord-Ouest / German: \Westafrikanische Fettmaus / Spanish: Raton grueso noroccidental
Other common names: North-western African Fat Mouse
Taxonomy. Steatomys caurinus Thomas, 1912 View in CoL ,
Panyam Plateau , Nigeria, 4000 ft (= 1219 m).
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. Continously from Senegal E through Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, to NW Nigeria. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 96-122 mm, tail 35-50 mm, ear 15-19 mm, hindfoot 18-20 mm; weight 30-66 g. The North-western Fat Mouse 1s small, with shorttail. Tail is sparsely haired, darker above than below. Fur is coarse and reddishbrown dorsally and clearly demarcated from pure white belly. Chin, throat, and upper chest are white. Ears are relatively large and rounded. Limbs are white, with four digits on forefoot and five digits on hindfoot. Numbers of nipples variable but are more than eight (usually twelve).
Habitat. Various savannas, woodlands, and agricultural fields, typically with low vegetation cover.
Food and Feeding. No information.
Breeding. Female North-western Fat Mice have 5-9 young in their burrows.
Activity patterns. North-western Fat Mice are terrestrial and nocturnal. Individuals rest in burrows during the day. Individuals accumulate fat during rains and become torpid during the dry season. They are well adapted to dehydration.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Usually only a single North-western Fat Mouse is present in a burrow (except for females with young).
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.
Bibliography. Ba et al. (2013), Granjon & Duplantier (2009, 2011), Lacas etal. (2000), Monadjem et al. (2015), Petter & Genest (1970), Robbins & Van der Straeten (1996), Sicard & Duplantier (2013), Swanepoel & Schlitter (1978).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
