Thallomys paedulcus (Sundevall, 1846)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Muridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 536-884 : 776-777

501.

Sundevall’s Thallomys

Thallomys paedulcus

French: Thallomys de Sundevall / German: Sundevall-Akazienratte / Spanish: Rata de acacias de Sundevall

Other common names: Acacia Rat, Acacia Thallomys

Taxonomy. Mus paedulcus Sundevall, 1846 ,

“in Caffraria interiore, Sydafrika [= South Africa].” Fixed by D. H. S. Davis in 1965 to “Crocodile Drift, Brits, Transvaal [= Northwest Province,” South Africa.

Thallomys paedulcus is poorly diagnosed, and exhibits some morphometric overlap with 7. nigricauda . Monotypic.

Distribution. Patchily distributed from S Ethiopia and S Somalia S through E Africa to NE Namibia , Botswana, and NE South

Africa.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 131 mm, tail 120-184 mm, ear 16-24 mm, hindfoot 20-28 mm; weight 32-116 g. Medium-sized to large arboreal rodent with verylong tail, Sundevall’s Thallomys has fur yellowish gray, pale rufous, cinnamon, or pale brown above, gray on flanks, sharply delineated from pure white belly, chin, and throat. Black facial mask is less distinct than in 7. nigricauda , extending from nose to around eyes and sometimes faintly to ear. Ears conspicuous, rounded, pigmented, covered with sparse buff hairs. Feet colored whitish above. Tail is long (c.120% of head-body length), scaly, brownish black, and covered with small bristles. Females have 0+2 = 2 pairs, 0+3 = 3 pairs, or 1+2 = 3 pairs of nipples. Karyotype 2n = 43-46.

Habitat. Savanna woodlands associated with acacias ( Acacia , Fabaceae ).

Food and Feeding. Sundevall’s Thallomys forages in branches of shrubs and trees, feeding mainly on new leaflets, twigs, and occasionally flowers and green outer coating of pods of acacia trees, as well as on berries of Ziziphus mucronata (Rhamnaceae) .

Breeding. In southern Africa, pregnancies were recorded during warm, wet summer season. In captivity, mean litter size was around three.

Activity patterns. Sundevall’s Thallomys is nocturnal and arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Sundevall’s Thallomys makes nests In acacia trees.

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

Bibliography. Davis (1965), De Graaff (1981), Gordon (1987) , Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Skinner & Chimimba (2005), Smithers & Wilson (1979), Taylor et al. (1995).

Figures

469. Barbary Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys barbarus), 470. Typical Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys striatus), 471. [MISSING], 473. Senegal Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys linulus), 474. Mittendorf’s Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys Ts), 475. Hoogstraal’s Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys hoogstraali), 476. Buffoon Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys macculus), 477. Griselda Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys griselda), 478. Single-striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys rosalia), 479. Rosevear’s Striped Grass Mouse (Lemniscomys roseveart), 480. West African Rufous-nosed Rat (Oenomys ornatus), 481. Common Rufous-nosed Rat (Oenomys hypoxanthus), 482. East African Groove-toothed Swamp Rat (Pelomys fallax), 483. Hopkins’s Groove-toothed Swamp Rat (Pelomys hopkinst), 484. Lake Victoria Groove-toothed Swamp Rat (Pelomys isseli), 485. Angolan Groove-toothed Swamp Rat (Pelomys campanae), 486. Least Groove-toothed Swamp Rat (Pelomys minor), 487. Target Rat (Stochomys longicaudatus), 488. Kemp's Thicket Rat (Thamnomys kempr), 489. Hatt’s Thicket Rat (Thamnomys major), 490. Schouteden’s Thicket Rat (Thamnomys schoutedeni), 491. Thomas's Thicket Rat (Thamnomys venustus), 492. Namaqua Rock Rat (Micaelamys namaquensis), 493. Grant's Rock Rat (Micaelamys granti), 494. Mesic Four-striped Grass Rat (Rhabdomys dilectus), 495. West-Central South African Four-striped Grass Rat (Rhabdomys bechuanae), 496. KwaZulu Natal Four-striped Grass Rat (Rhabdomys chakae), 497. [MISSING], 499. Loring’s Thallomys (Thallomys loringi), 500. Black-tailed Thallomys (Thallomys nigricauda), 501. Sundevall’s Thallomys (Thallomys paedulcus), 502. Shortridge’s Thallomys (Thallomys shortridgei)

Distribution. Patchily distributed from S Ethiopia and S Somalia S through E Africa to NE Namibia , Botswana, and NE South Africa.