386.

Burton's Vlei Rat

Otomys burtoni

French: Otomys de Burton / German: Burton-Lamellenzahnratte / Spanish: Rata de laguna de Burton

Taxonomy. Otomys burtoni Thomas, 1918,

“Cameroons Mountains, [Cameroon]. Alt. 7000’ [= 2100 m].”

Otomys burtoni previously was included in O. wrroratus or O. tropicalis but shown to be a distinct species based on morphological and molecular grounds. Otomys burtoni closest relative seems to be O. occidentalis, suggesting the two West African species originated from a single radiation from east to west.Monotypic.

Distribution. Mt Cameroon, NW Cameroon.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 145-167 mm, tail 75-84 mm, ear 22-26 mm, hindfoot 29-32 mm; weight 71-105 g. Burton’s Vlei Rat is large and robust, with large blunt head, short tail, and shaggy fur. Dorsum is dull grizzled brown with coppery wash. Tail is short (c.50% of head-body length). Hands and feet are dark brown. Females have two pairs of nipples. Upper and lower incisors each have one deep and one shallow groove. M| has four laminae, and M’ has 6-7 laminae. Petrotympanic foramen is slitlike, a characteristic shared by the Angoni Vlei Rat ( O. angoniensis) and Sloggett’s Vlei Rat ( O. sloggetti); all other species of Otomys have round-shaped foramen.

Habitat. Montane wetlands at elevations of 2000-4000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Burton's Vlei Rat is terrestrial and presumably diurnal or crepuscular.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Dieterlen & Van der Straeten (1992), Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Taylor, Denys et al. (2004), Taylor, Maree et al. (2014).