37.

Albertine Rift Brush-furred Rat

Lophuromys laticeps

French: Rat-hérissé du Kivu / German: Breitkopf-Blrstenhaarmaus / Spanish: Rata de pelaje de cepillo del Valle Albertino

Taxonomy. Lophuromys laticeps Thomas & Wroughton, 1907,

Lake Kivu, Rwanda.

In the original description, L. laticeps was morphologically close to L. aquilus but had differences of size. In the revision of the L. aquilus species group, L. laticeps from the Albertine Rift was rehabilitated based on molecular and morphometric characteristics. It was included in the same clade as L. melanonyx, L. zena, L. dudui, and L. rita . Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to the Albertine Rift in E DR Congo, SW Uganda, Rwanda,and Burundi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 99-136 mm, tail 54-76 mm, ear 15-18-6 mm, hindfoot 19-23-3 mm; weight 43-76 g. Externally, the Albertine Rift Brush-furred Rat looks like the Buff-spotted Brush-furred Rat ( L. flavopunctatus), with speckled pelage of the same colors. Tail of the Albertine Rift Brush-furred Rat is shorter (60%) than head-body length.

Habitat. High-elevation Rwandan forest, bush, Hagenia (Rosaceae) woodlands, swamps, and Afro-alpine zones at elevations of 2400-4000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not yet assessed on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Gyldenstolpe (1928), Kerbis Peterhans & Austin (1996), Monadjem et al. (2015), Tuyisingize et al. (2013), Verheyen et al. (2007).