585.

Ansell’s Wood Mouse

Hylomyscus anselli

French: Hylomysque dAnsell / German: Ansell-Afrikawaldmaus / Spanish: Ratén de bosque de Ansell

Other common names: Ansell's Hylomyscus

Taxonomy. Praomys (Hylomyscus) denniae anselli Bishop, 1979, Jimbe Stream, Mwinilunga District, Zambia.

Hylomyscus anselli was originally described as subspecies of H. denniae but elevated to speciesstatus based on morphological grounds. Monotypic.

Distribution. Recorded from the Ufipa Plateau in SW Tanzania and the highlands in N Zambia; it possibly occurs in neighboring parts of DR Congo and Angola.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 95-109 mm, tail 141-159 mm, ear 19-21 mm, hindfoot 20-22 mm; weight 22-35 g. Fur of Ansell’s Wood Mouse is soft and dense, dark brown above and grayish white below, similar in color to the Montane Wood Mouse ( H. denniae). Tail is very long (c.140% of head-body length). Ears and eyes are large relative to head. Fifth digit on hindfoot is opposable and almost as long as second to fourth digits. Females have three pairs of nipples. Incisors are orthodont.

Habitat. Montane forests at elevations of 1220-2300 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Ansell’s Wood Mouse is arboreal and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Bishop (1979), Carleton & Stanley (2005), Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005).