561.

Ceylon Spiny Mouse

Mus fernandoni

French: Souris du Sri Lanka / German: Ceylon-Stachelzwergmaus / Spanish: Raton espinoso de Sri Lanka

Taxonomy. Legadilla fernandoni W. W. A. Phillips, 1932,

Kubalgamuwa, Mulhalkelle District, Sri Lanka.

Placed in subgenus Pyromys by J. T. Marshall in 1977. There are no genetic data currently available to clarify its relationships. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to Sri Lanka.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 90- 110 mm, tail 60-70 mm, ear 12 mm, hindfoot 21-5 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Dorsal pelage is reddish gray above and fat spines are present. Tail is smaller than the total body length. Females bear five pairs of mammae.

Habitat. The Ceylon Spiny Mouse was trapped in dry, thorny, scrub forest and it is known to prefer sandy habitats near rocks surrounded by bushes. Found only at four locations at elevations of ¢.1000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Ceylon Spiny Mice are terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Marshall (1977a), Phillips (1980), Srinivasulu & Srinivasulu (2012), Yapa & Ratnavira (2013).