49.

Mount Cameroon Brush-furred Rat

Lophuromys roseveari

French: Rat-hérissé de Rosevear / German: Kamerunberg-Birstenhaarmaus / Spanish: Rata de pelaje de cepillo de Camerun

Other common names: Roseveari's Brush-furred Rat

Taxonomy. Lophuromys roseveari W. N. Verheyen et al., 1997,

Musake, Mt Cameroon, Cameroon.

First mention of Lophuromys on Mount Cameroon occurred in 1963; it was later described, noting its characteristic long hairs, as a mountain race of L. sikapusi .In 1997, L. roseveari was elevated to a distinct species based on morphological and morphometric grounds. No molecular study has shown its species-group affinities, but

it has been incorporated into the sikapusi species group. Monotypic.

Distribution. Mt Cameroon, W Cameroon.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 104-141 mm, tail 50-78 mm, ear 16-21 mm, hindfoot 20-25-1 mm; weight 49-88 g. The Mount Cameroon Brush-furred Rat has unspeckled reddish brown dorsum and paler belly. Hairs are long and dense. Tail is short (¢.50% of head-body length). Skull is slender and fragile. Females have 2-3 pairs of mammae.

Habitat. Mountain forests, grasslands, forest fringes, gardens, and plantations in secondary forests at elevations of 1200-3100 m.

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 Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Mount Cameroon Brush-furred Rat can occur in anthropogenically modified habitats, but logging and burning might become future conservation challenges.

Bibliography. Eisentraut (1963, 1973), Rosevear (1969), Verheyen et al. (1997).