Petromyscus collinus (Thomas & Hinton, 1925)

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 : 193

publication ID

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

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6600267

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03993828-FFF8-0F5C-FAF2-F91CC499F373

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Petromyscus collinus
status

 

33. View Plate 8: Nesomyidae

Common Pygmy Rock Mouse

Petromyscus collinus View in CoL

French: Petromysque pygmée / German: Zwergfelsenmaus / Spanish: Raton de roca enano comun

Taxonomy. Praomys collinus Thomas & Hinton, 1925 ,

Karibib , Namibia.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. From SW Angola S through W Namibia to W South Africa. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head—body 72-93 mm, tail 78-122 mm, ear 12-18 mm, hindfoot 15-21 mm; weight 14-24 g. The Common Pygmy Rock Mouseis small, with long tail. Fur is soft and silky, with variable dorsal pelage ranging from buff-brown to medium brown; venteris off-white. Hairs have dark gray bases. Ears are large and rounded. Tail is long, gray above and white below. Limbs are off-white, with four digits on forefeet and five digits on hindfeet. It has six nipples.

Habitat. Rocky outcrops in arid environments, particularly in mountainous regions with overhanging rocks and crevices, where it may be the most abundant terrestrial small mammal.

Food and Feeding. The Common Pygmy Rock Mouseis primarily granivorous, feeding on seeds that might be obtained in feces of Rock Hyraxes (Procavia capensis). Insects may make up one-quarter of stomach contents.

Breeding. Female Common Pygmy Rock Mice becomereproductively active when fog precipitation is greatest, mostly October—-March. In the wild, females appear to have a single litter per year of 2-3 young. Meanlittersize in captivity is 2:8 young. Neonates weigh 2-2 g. Young nipple-cling to 14 days ofage.

Activity patterns. The Common Pygmy Rock Mouse is nocturnal and specialized for climbing rocks. It shelters in rock crevices during the day, emerging after sunset and returning to shelter well before sunrise. It is well adaptedtolife in an arid landscape and can survive for c.3 weeks without water.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Male Common Pygmy Rock Mice appear to beterritorial, defending homeranges of ¢.0-3 ha; female homeranges overlap. In suitable habitat, densities can be 5-10 ind/ha.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Common Pygmy Rock Mouse occupies rocky habitat that is unlikely to become threatened in the near future.

Bibliography. Avery & Avery (2011), Brown et al. (1998), Coetzee (1970, 2013b), Dempster & Perrin (1989), Denys et al. (1995), Jansa et al. (1999), Matson & Blood (1994), Monadjem et al. (2015), Petter (1967), Skinner & Chimimba (2005), Stuart et al. (1987), Withers (1979, 1983), Withers et al. (1980).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

SubOrder

Myomorpha

SuperFamily

Muroidea

Family

Nesomyidae

Genus

Petromyscus

Loc

Petromyscus collinus

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

Praomys collinus

Thomas & Hinton 1925
1925
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