458.

Western Rainforest Thicket Rat

Grammomys poensis

French: Grammomys de Fernando Po / German: \Westliche Akazienmaus / Spanish: Rata de matorral de bosque lluvioso occidental

Other common names: Western Rainforest Grammomys

Taxonomy. Thamnomys poensis Eisentraut, 1965,

Moca, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea, 1200 m.

Grammomys poensis was previously known by the specific epithet rutilans, but that name was shown to be invalid. It is very similar to G. kuru, but apparently has larger skull and longer tooth row, and is distinguished genetically. Monotypic.

Distribution. SW Guinea (Mt Nimba), from SE Liberia E through Ivory Coast

and Ghana to Togo, SW Nigeria, and E& S through Cameroon, SW Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea (including Bioko I), Gabon, Republic of the Congo, and DR Congo to N Angola; distribution limits uncertain.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 112-147 mm, tail 163-200 mm, ear 15-18 mm, hindfoot 22-29 mm; weight 556-92 g. Fur of the Western Rainforest Thicket Rat is grayish brown above and dark rufous in mid-dorsal area, with sharply demarcated pure creamy-white belly tinged with orange, sometimes bordered by thin orange line. Tail is very long (160% of head—body length), semi-prehensile, and tufted. Ears are small, with shortbrown hairs, and without white post-auricular spot. Feet have four digits on forefoot and five on relatively short hindfoot, fifth digit longer and semi-opposable. Claws are short. Females have 0+2 = 2 pairs of nipples. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 36.

Habitat. [Lowland rainforest in clearings, disturbed and secondary forest, in farmland (mature cocoa and cocoyam plantations), and in secondary bush around farmlands.

Food and Feeding. Mostly frugivorous. Diet in Central African Republic—which may possibly relate to Eastern Rainforest Thicket Rat ( G. kuru)—comprised flowers, leaves, seeds, vegetable pulp (from fruits), and small proportion of insects; in the wild, at least 19 species of fruit were consumed.

Breeding. A study in Central African Republic—which could be referable to this species or to Eastern Rainforest Thicket Rat—recorded that females nipple-drag the young after birth for about 14 days, as recorded also for other members of genus. Gestation lasts 24 days. Litter size 1-3.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal and arboreal. Western Rainforest Thicket Rats have been captured on the ground and at heights of up to 12 m. They make spherical nests of grass, lianas and other vegetation, wherein they spend the day, venturing out to feed at 21:45-22:00 h untl about 05:00 h, bouts of activity alternating with rest in nests.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In populations from Central African Republic (which could be of present species or ofEastern Rainforest Thicket Rats), nests were 30-50 m apart and contained only mothers with young, suggesting home range of 700-2000 m?.

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

Bibliography. Bryja et al. (2017), Genest-Villard (1972, 1980), Malcolm & Ray (2000), Musser & Carleton (2005), Tranier & Dosso (1979).