582.

West African Wood Mouse

Hylomyscus simus

French: Hylomysque de Brosset / German: \Westliche Afrikawaldmaus / Spanish: Raton de bosque de Africa occidental

Other common names: Liberian Hylomyscus, Liberian Wood Mouse, West African Hylomyscus

Taxonomy. Hylomyscus alleni simus G. M. Allen & Coolidge, 1930, “Merikay, interior of Liberia.”

Hylomyscus simus previously was included in H. alleni . It was elevated to a distinct species in the H. alleni species group based on molecular and morphometric grounds. Monotypic.

Distribution. SW W Africa from Sierra Leone and Guinea E to Ghana.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 66-128 mm, tail 52-143 mm, ear 13-18 mm, hindfoot 16-20 mm; weight 12-22 g. Fur of the West African Wood Mouse is chocolate-brown or dark brown above, paler on flanks, and brownish white below, without clear demarcation of ventral and dorsal color. Tail is very long (140-165% of head-body length), pale, and sparsely covered with very short pale hair. Fifth digit on hindfoot is opposable and almost as long as second digit. Females have four pairs of nipples. Incisors slightly proodont.

Habitat. Mainly undisturbed rainforest but also disturbed forests and farms in low densities.

Food and Feeding. West African Wood Mice eat seeds, roots, stems, fruits, and also insects.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The West African Wood Mouse is arboreal and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. West African Wood Mice are agile climbers, aided by longopposable fifth digits and very long tails. Nests are constructed in holes in trees (e.g. bananas and plantains).

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Adam (1977), Grubb et al. (1998), Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Nicolas, Olayemi et al. (2010), Rosevear (1969).