594.

Kerbis-Peterhans’s Wood Mouse

Hylomyscus kerbispeterhansi

French: Hylomysque de Kerbis-Peterhans / German: Kerbis-Peterhans-Afrikawaldmaus / Spanish: Raton de bosque de Kerbis-Peterhans

Other common names: Kerbis-Peterhans's Hylomyscus

Taxonomy. Hylomyscus kerbispeterhansi Demos, Agwanda & Hickerson, 2014, 15-5 km N, 16-4 km E Bomet, 2350 m, Mau Escarpment, Narok District, Rift Valley Province, Kenya.

Classified in the anselli species group (along with anselli, heinrichorum, and arcimontensis) based on inter alia, absence of pectoral mammae, but distinguished from other members of the group on morphometric characters. Monotypic.

Distribution. Mt Elgon, Cherangani Hills, and Mau Escarpment in Kenya, W of Rift Valley; presumably on Ugandan slopes of Mt Elgon.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 76-100 mm, tail 119-138 mm, ear 17-19-5 mm, hindfoot 17-21 mm; weight 18-26 g. Fur of Kerbis-Peterhans’s Wood Mouse is soft and dense, rufous brown above, grading to lighter rufous brown along flanks, and whitish gray below. Tail is very long (148% of head-body length) and dark chocolate-brown. Ears are dark brown. Fifth digiton hindfoot is opposable and almost as long as second through fourth digits. Females have three pairs of nipples.

Habitat. Montane forests at elevations above 2300 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Litters of Kerbis-Peterhans’s Wood Mice have 3-5 young.

Activity patterns. Kerbis-Peterhans’s Wood Mouse is nocturnal, terrestrial, and presumably and least partly arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Demos et al. (2014).