615.

Riverine Soft-furred Mouse

Praomys mutoni

French: Praomys de Masako / German: Muton-Weichhaarratte / Spanish: Raton de pelaje suave de la ribera del Congo

Other common names: Masako Soft-furred Mouse, Muton's Soft-furred Mouse, Riverine Praomys

Taxonomy. Praomys mutoni Van der Straeten & Dudu, 1990,

Batiabongena, Masako Forest Reserve, DR Congo.

Praomys mutoni is one of eight species in the P. tullbergi species group and distinguished based on molecular grounds. Monotypic.

Distribution. Narrow distribution along both banksof the middle-upper reaches of the Congo River, DR Congo.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 110-139 mm, tail 113-171 mm, ear 17-19 mm,

hindfoot 21-24 mm; weight 31-57 g. Fur of the Riverine Soft-furred Mouse is soft sepiabrown above and whitish gray below. Most males have white patch or stripe in front of penis. Tail is very long (c.120-140% of head-body length), dark above and below. Females have three pairs of nipples.

Habitat. Very wet areas along water courses in secondary forest and old farmlands.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Pregnant Riverine Soft-furred Mice have been recorded at beginning (December) and end of dry season(February). Litters have 2-3 young.

Activity patterns. The Riverine Soft-furred Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Riverine Soft-furred Mouse seems to be restricted to seasonally flooded tall forests which are probably declined and has a distribution of ¢.28,380 km?.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Missoup et al. (2012), Monadjem et al. (2015), Van der Straeten & Dudu (1990).