558.

Saxicolous Mouse

Mus saxicola

French: Souris des roches / German: Felsen-Stachelzwergmaus / Spanish: Raton de roca

Other common names: Elliot's Spiny Mouse

Taxonomy. Mus saxicola Elliot, 1839,

Madras, India.

A morphological and molecular study by P. Chevret and colleagues in 2003 confirmed its position in the subgenus Pyromys, where it is sister to M. platythrix . Previously considered a synonym of M. platythrix . Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M.s.saxicolaElliot,1839—India(Maharashtra,AndhraPradesh,Karnataka,andTamilNadustates).

M.s.gurkhaThomas,1914—NW&NEIndia(HimachalPradesh,Uttarakhand,Jharkhand,andWestBengalstates)andSNepal.

M. s. sadhu Wroughton, 1911 — SW & SE Pakistan (Balochistan and Sindh provinces) and W & C India (Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh states).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 71-112 mm,tail 53-96 mm, hindfoot 16-19 mm; weight 18-22 g. A medium-sized mouse which varies in dorsal coloration from pale sandy to dark gray brown; dirty white ventrally. Fur is more orless spiny. Tail is bicolored and shorter (less than 90%) than head-body length. Females bear 5-6 pairs of mammae. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 22-26.

Habitat. Subtropical dry deciduous and scrub forests, grassland and rocky habitats, at elevations up to 1000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Saxicolous Mice are nocturnal and fossorial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Agrawal (2000), Chevret et al. (2003), Corbet & Hill (1992), Ellerman (1961), Marshall (1977a).