415.

Blick’s Grass Rat

Arvicanthis blicki

French: Rat-roussard de Blick / German: Blick-Grasratte / Spanish: Rata de hierba de Blick

Other common names: Blick’'s Arvicanthis

Taxonomy. Arvicanthis abyssinicus blicki Frick, 1914,

“Hora Mountain Base Camp, Southern Chilalo Mountains, Abyssinia [= Ethiopia], altitude 9,000 feet [= 2750 m].”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Chilalo and Bale Mts of C Ethiopia, E of Rift Valley.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 160- 175 mm, tail 102-112 mm, ear 19-20 mm, hindfoot 34-37 mm; weight 140-150 g. Blick’s Grass Rat is a large-sized rat with fur dorsally grayish brown, flecked withsilvery white, with thin, indistinct mid-dorsal black line, and paler ventrally. Ears are small, dark, and well covered with short creamcolored hairs. Tail is short (¢.62% of head-body length), darker above than below, and covered with dark bristles. Limbs are relatively short, the foreand hindfeet densely furred and with dark claws, with four digits on forefoot (first digit is absent; fifth digit is highly reduced but still bears a claw) and five digits on hindfoot Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48, FN = 64.

Habitat. Montane and alpine grasslands and moorlands at 2750-4050 m.

Food and Feeding. Blick’s Grass Rat is herbivorous,its diet including monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous leaves.

Breeding. Reproduction occurs throughout the year, two pregnancy peaks probably representing two litters per female per year. Average litter size (based on number of embryos) 3-2 (range 2-3-4-2).

Activity patterns. Blick’s Grass Rat is diurnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Blick’s Grass Rat is colonial, living in burrows in mixed colonies with the Black-clawed Brush-furred Rat ( Lophuromys melanonyx). It emits high-pitched whistles to warn of danger.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Sillero-Zubiri & Gottelli (1995), Yalden (1988), Yalden et al. (1976).