Saccostomus mearnst, Heller, 1910
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6600357 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6600281 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03993828-FFFF-0F58-FA20-F401C824FA81 |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Saccostomus mearnst |
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East African Pouched Mouse
Saccostomus mearnst View in CoL
French: Saccostome de Mearns / German: Ostafrika-Kurzschwanzhamsterratte / Spanish: Ratén de abazones de Africa oriental
Other common names: Mearn’'s Pouched Mouse
Taxonomy. Saccostomus mearnsi Heller, 1910 View in CoL ,
“ Changamwe , British East Africa [= Kenya].”
Molecular and morphological variation within S. mearnsi recently demonstrated two different species, referable here as S. mearnsi and S. umbriventer . Monotypic.
Distribution. E Uganda, Kenya, SW Ethiopia, and S Somalia. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 101-150 mm, tail 38-74 mm, ear 14-22 mm, hindfoot 18-25 mm; weight 43-69 g. The East African Pouched Mouse is medium-sized, with well-developed cheek pouches. Fur is soft and gray dorsally, clearly demarcated from white belly. Chin, throat, and upper chest are white. Ears are rounded. Tail is noticeably short and sparsely covered in bristles. Limbs are white, with four digits on forefeet and five digits on hindfeet.
Habitat. Wide range of savanna and woodlands,typically below elevations of¢.1500 m.
Food and Feeding. The East African Pouched Mouse is omnivorous, switching from green plant matter during the dry season to seeds after rains. In laboratory tests, individuals prefer forbs more than seeds.
Breeding. Proportion of female East African Pouched Mice in breeding condition increases after rains and then drops in the dry season. Proportion of breeding males, however, remains high throughout the year.
Activity patterns. The East African Pouched Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial. Individuals excavate burrows or take over existing holes such as those in termite mounds.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The East African Pouched Mouse is solitary. In central Kenya, densities fluctuate from 16 ind/ha to 42 ind/ha throughout the year. Interannual variation may be even larger. In the absence of mammalian predators, densities can reach more than 80 ind/ha. Females appear to be territorial. Males are randomly distributed, with larger home ranges (0-21 ha) than females (0-06 ha).
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.
Bibliography. Bergstrom (2013), Corti, Castiglia, Annesi & Verheyen (2004), Corti, Castiglia, Colangelo et al. (2005), Denys (1988, 1992), Hubert (1978a), Keesing (1998, 2013), Keesing & Crawford (2001), Keesing & Young (2014), Metz & Keesing (2001), Mikula et al. (2016), Monadjem et al. (2015), Petter (1966a).
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.
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SubOrder |
Myomorpha |
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SuperFamily |
Muroidea |
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Genus |
Saccostomus mearnst
| Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr 2017 |
Saccostomus mearnsi
| Heller 1910 |