545.

Gounda Mouse

Mus goundae

French: Souris de la Gounda / German: Gounda-Zwergmaus / Spanish: Raton de Gounda

Other common names: Gounda River Mouse

Taxonomy. Mus goundae Petter & Genest, 1970,

vicinity of Gounda River, northern Central African Republic.

Part of the M. sorella species group, based on long snout, greatly reduced molars and proodont incisors. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in N Central African Republic.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 55-62 mm, tail 30-32 mm, ear 10-13 mm, hindfoot 12-14 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Very small mouse with shorttail. Fur is ocherous brown above, becoming orange-rufous on flanks and pure white below. Tail is very short (55% of head-body length). Ears large and blackish,slightly pointed at tip, with postauricular white spot. Forefeet and hindfeetrelatively large and white. Females have four pairs of nipples. Chromosomal complement 2n = 16-19, FN = 30.

Habitat. Wooded savanna.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Lamb et al. (2014), Monadjem et al. (2015), Petter (1981), Petter & Genest (1970).