397.

Eastern Arc Vlei Rat

Otomys sungae

French: Otomys des Usambara / German: Usambara-Lamellenzahnratte / Spanish: Rata de laguna del Arco Oriental

Other common names: Sunga Vlei Rat

Taxonomy. Otomys denti sungae Bohmann, 1943,

“Sunga, Usambara-Gebirge [= Usambara Mountain Range], Deutsch-Ostafrika [= German East Africa], Meereshohe [= at sea level] 1900 m,” Tanzania.

Otomys sungae previously was included in O. denti but shown to be phylogenetically distinct. There are two morphometrically and genetically distinct populations: one from Eastern Arc Mountains and the other from yi Nyika Plateau but the latter

remains to be formally described. Monotypic.

Distribution. Usambara and Uluguru Mts in Eastern Arc Mts; undescribed form on Nyika Plateau of Malawi and neighboring Zambia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 150-180 mm, tail 80-100 mm, ear 20-28 mm, hindfoot 30-31 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Eastern Arc Vlei Rat is large and robust, with large blunt head, short tail, and shaggy fur. Fur is similar to that of Dent's Vlei Rat ( O. denti) but slightly less black. Tail is short (c.55% of head-body length) and bicolored (unicolored in Dent’s Vlei Rat). Upper and lower incisors each have single groove. M, has four laminae and sometimes remnant of a fifth, and M? has six (Nyika Plateau) or seven (Eastern Arc) laminae.

Habitat. Montane habitats at elevations of 1500-2000 m in Eastern Arc Mountains and ¢.2100 m on Nyika Plateau of Malawi. On Nyika Plateau, they occur in damp grassland and Protea (Proteaceae) scrub.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. In Malawi, pregnant Eastern Arc Vlei Rats were recorded during cool dry season. Females typically have one embryo.

Activity patterns. The Eastern Arc Vlei Rat is presumably diurnal or crepuscular.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red List.

Bibliography. Bohmann (1952), Hanney (1965), Monadjem et al. (2015), Taylor, Maree, van Sandwyk, Baxter & Rambau (2009).