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West African Striped Mouse

Hybomys trivirgatus

French: Hybomys a trois bandes / German: Dreistreifenmaus / Spanish: Raton listado de Africa occidental

Other common names: Temminck’s Striped Mouse, Temminck’s Hybomys, West African Hybomys

Taxonomy. Mus trivirgatus Temminck, 1853,

Dabocrom, Ghana.

Hybomys trivirgatus is morphologically similar to H. planifrons, but distinct on chromosomal and morphological grounds. Monotypic.

Distribution. Occurs widely in W Africa in forested habitats from E Sierra Leone E to SW Nigeria (W of Niger River), but absent from the Dahomey Gap (SE Ghana, Togo, and Benin).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 105-130 mm, tail 85-110 mm, ear 15-18 mm, hindfoot 27-34 mm; weight 29-63 g. The West African Striped Mouse has fur yellowish brown to grayish brown above with three dorsal stripes, including prominent mid-dorsal stripe that extends from forehead, crown or shoulders to rump, and lateral stripes that are less prominent (especially in Nigerian populations). Belly is typically drab gray in color. Tail is short (¢.80% of head-body length) and dark brown to black, slightly paler below. Upper surface of hindfeet is pale brown, soles black and hairless. Females have 0+2 = 2 pairs of nipples. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 40-43, FN = 40-43.

Habitat. Primary rainforest, disturbed edges of rainforest, and cocoa plantations, from sea level to 1200 m.

Food and Feeding. The West African Striped Mouse is primarily insectivorous (ants, termites, beetles, orthopterans), but feeds also on vegetable matter.

Breeding. Females breed in wet season, and litter size is 2-3.

Activity patterns. West African Striped Mice are terrestrial, and both diurnal and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Carleton & Robbins (1985), Cole (1975), Grubb et al. (1998), Happold (1987 2013a).