50.

Sabuni’s Brush-furred Rat

Lophuromys sabunii

French: Rat-hérissé de Sabuni / German: Sabuni-Blrstenhaarmaus / Spanish: Rata de pelaje de cepillo de Sabuni

Taxonomy. Lophuromys sabunit W. N. Verheyen et al., 2007,

Mbizi, Ufipa Plateau (07.42° S-31.40° E), Tanzania.

Lophuromys sabunii is in the L. flavopunctatus species complex, sorted out recently as a valid species based on morphometric and mtDNA analyses during revision of the L. agwilus group. It is in the same molecular clade as L. machangui and distinguished by craniometric differences. Monotypic.

Distribution. Ufipa Plateau, SW Tanzania.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 112-145 mm, tail 30-80 mm, ear 12:2—19-5 mm, hindfoot 20-23 mm; weight 38-87 g. Sabuni’s Brush-furred Rat is speckled, with short tail (50-60% of head-body length). Externally, it looks like the Buff-spotted Brush-furred Rat ( L. flavopunctatus).

Habitat. Mountain forest edges with shrubby vegetation and agroecosystems at elevations of ¢.1750 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Sabuni’s Brush-furred Rat is probably Data Deficient. Its occurrence in threatened habitats suggests that it will face important conservation threats in the future.

Bibliography. Monadjem etal. (2015), Verheyen et al. (2007).