584.

Allen’s Wood Mouse

Hylomyscus alleni

French: Hylomysque dAllen / German: Allen-Afrikawaldmaus / Spanish: Raton de bosque de Allen

Other common names: Allen's Hylomyscus

Taxonomy. Mus alleni Waterhouse, 1838,

“Fernando Po [= Bioko Island],” Equatorial Guinea.

Distribution of Hylomyscus allen: previously included West Africa, but populations west of the Niger River are now recognized as two distinct species, H. pamfi and H. simus. Status of an isolated population on the Jos Plateau in central Nigeria is uncertain, and a population from Korup National Park in south-western Cameroon may represent a distinct species based on molecular grounds. Monotypic.

Distribution. C Africa in S Cameroon, SW Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea (including Bioko I), Gabon, and Republic of the Congo.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 67-96 mm, tail 101-152 mm, ear 10-17 mm, hindfoot 15-20 mm; weight 10-30 g. Fur of Allen’s Wood Mouse is soft and reddish brown to grayish brown above and grayish white below. Venter and dorsum are sharply divided along flanks by buffy line. Tail is very long (c.150% of head-body length) and appears naked without short hairs at tip. Ears and eyes are large relative to head, and eyes aresurrounded by faint dark rings. Rostrum is pointed. Upper surfaces of forefeet and hindfeet are covered with white hairs. Hindfoot is narrow, and fifth digit on hindfoot is opposable and almost as long as second to fourth digits. Females have four pairs of nipples.

Habitat. Rainforest, most abundant in sparse understories and dense canopies.

Food and Feeding. Allen’s Wood Mouse eats seeds, fruits, roots, stems, and some insects.

Breeding. Allen’s Wood Mouse reproduces year-round, peaking in wet season. Litters have 1-4 young.

Activity patterns. Allen’s Wood Mouse is arboreal and nocturnal, but it spends some time on the ground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Adam (1977), Grubb et al. (1998), Happold (2013a), Malcolm & Ray (2000), Musser & Carleton (2005), Ray (1996).