Thamnomys kempi Dollman 1911

Thamnomys kempi Dollman 1911, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 8: 658.

Type Locality: E Dem. Rep. Congo, Nord-Kivu Province, Buhamba, near Lake Kivu, 6000 ft (1830 m).

Vernacular Names: Dollman's Thamnomys.

Distribution: Apparently endemic to Kivu and Virunga volcanos in E Dem. Rep. Congo (Dollman, 1911; Gyldenstolpe, 1928; Hatt, 1934; Rahm, 1967; specimens in AMNH, MCZ, USNM), SW Uganda (specimens in FMNH, MCZ, USNM), W Rwanda (Elbl et al., 1966; specimens in USNM), and E Burundi (specimens in FMNH); 1670-3900 m.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: The more than 30 specimens we examined indicate T. kempi should be treated as a species (G. M. Allen, 1939; Ellerman, 1941), not a subspecies of T. venustus (Misonne, 1974; Rahm, 1967). Thamnomys kempi is larger, with a longer skull and molar row (29.5-38.9 mm, 6.1-6.8 mm, respectively in T. kempi; 30.8-35.5 mm, 5.4-5.8 mm in T. venustus) and generally occurs at higher altitudes. Both are sympatric at Kibati (specimens in MCZ) and Irangi (R. Hutterer, in litt., 2002) in the Kivu highlands of E Dem. Rep. Congo.