427.

Moon Mountains Striped Mouse

Hybomys lunaris

French: Hybomys du Rwenzori / German: Ruwenzori-Streifenmaus / Spanish: Raton listado de Montes Luna

Other common names: Moon Striped Mouse, Rwenzori Hybomys, Rwenzori Striped Mouse

Taxonomy. Mus univittatus lunaris Thomas, 1906,

“[Mount] Ruwenzori East, [Uganda], 6000’ [= 1830 m].”

Hybomys lunaris was previously treated as a subspecies of H. univittatus, but was elevated to species rank following chromosomal and morphological investigations. Monotypic.

Distribution. Rwenzori Mts (Uganda), possibly extending to Kanyaware, Kibale Forest, 60 km NE of known range.

Descriptive notes. Measurements of holotype: head-body 108 mm, tail 115 mm, ear 17 mm, hindfoot 25 mm. A medium-sized mouse, distinctly smaller in body and skull size compared with Peters’s Striped Mouse ( H. univittatus), and mid-dorsalstripe is indistinct. Coloris olivaceous dorsally, becoming blacker olivaceous on rump, and buffy grayish ventrally. Tail is just longer than head-body length in holotype, practically naked, blackish above and paler below. Forefeet blackish brown above, hindfeet rufous brown. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 48.

Habitat. Montane forest above 1800 m in the Rwenzoris, and possibly lowland forest at Kibale Forest.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Monadjem et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005), Van der Straeten et al. (1986), Verheyen & Van der Straeten (1985).