Steatomys parvus, Rhoads, 1896

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Nesomyidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 156-203 : 203

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6600357

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6600335

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03993828-FFE6-0F42-FFF2-FDEACEA9F8EB

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Steatomys parvus
status

 

65. View Plate 8: Nesomyidae

Tiny Fat Mouse

Steatomys parvus View in CoL

French: Petit Rat-adipeux / German: Zwergfettmaus / Spanish: Raton grueso diminuto

Other common names: Tiny African Fat Mouse

Taxonomy. Steatomys parvus Rhoads, 1896 View in CoL ,

“ Rusia , Lake Rudolf [= on the shore of Lake Turkana, Ethiopia], Africa.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Broadly distributed in at least two widely separated populations: one in E Africa (E Uganda, extreme SW Ethiopia, W & S Kenya, and N & W Tanzania), the other in S Africa (S Angola, NE Namibia, N Botswana, W Zambia, and extreme W Zimbabwe); isolated population in Jebel Marra, W Sudan. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 55-83 mm, tail 34-51 mm, ear 11-15 mm, hindfoot 12-16 mm; weight 8-15 g. The Tiny Fat Mouse is very small—the smallest species of Steatomys . Tail is short and sparsely haired, white above and below. Furis soft and pale orange-brown dorsally, clearly demarcated from pure white or off-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. It has eight nipples.

Habitat. Arid savannas and woodlands, particularly those on sandy soils.

Food and Feeding. Poorly known, but the Tiny Fat Mouse is presumed to be granivorous.

Breeding. Poorly known. A single lactating Tiny Fat Mouse was captured at the end of the dry season in November in Botswana.

Activity patterns. Poorly known. The Tiny Fat Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial. It excavates a burrow in which food might be hoarded.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Byrom et al. (2015), Coetzee (1977), Monadjem (2013c), Monadjem et al. (2015), Smithers (1971), Stanley et al. (2007), Swanepoel & Schlitter (1978).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

SubOrder

Myomorpha

SuperFamily

Muroidea

Family

Nesomyidae

Genus

Steatomys

Loc

Steatomys parvus

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr 2017
2017
Loc

Steatomys parvus

Rhoads 1896
1896
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