566.

Sheath-tailed Mouse

Mus fragilicauda

French: Souris a queue fragile / German: Laos-Maus / Spanish: Raton de cola fragil

Other common names: Fragile-tailed Mouse

Taxonomy. Mus fragilicauda Auffray et al., 2003,

Ban Nong Sanga, Wang Nam Yen District, Nahkon Ratchasima (Korat) Province, south-central Thailand.

Recently described, this species belongs to the Mus molecular clade and the subgenus Mus . In 2003, it was found to be molecularly close to M. spretus, M. musculus, and M. cervicolor by J. C. Auffray and colleagues, who also performed a geometric morphometric analysis of the skull morphology and the cytotypes, showing its clear distinction from other species. It was included in the “ M. booduga clade” by T. Shimada and colleagues in 2010, and found close to M. booduga, M. nitidulus, and M. cervicolor . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from scattered localities in NC & SC Thailand and SE Laos.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 66-70 mm, tail 56-67 mm, ear 10-12 mm, hindfoot 12-15 mm; weight 9-15 g. The Sheath-tailed Mouse is distinguished by its aptitude to lose its tail integument naturally or when handled. It is very similar to the Fawncolored Mouse ( M. cervicolor) but its fur is softer, thinner, and looser, giving the pelage a velvety appearance. It presents nearly identical body and tail sizes, a short and slightly bicolored tail, and body coloration of brown above and brownish gray below; it has a long nose as compared to that of the Ryukyu Mouse ( M. caroli). Chromosomal complementis 2n = 40.

Habitat. Dried rice grass fields and pygmy bamboo patches.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Sheath-tailed Mice are terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Auffray et al. (2003), Francis (2008), Shimada et al. (2010).