538.

Mahomet Mouse

Mus mahomet

French: Souris de Mahomet / German: Mahomet-Zwergmaus / Spanish: Raton de Mahomet

Taxonomy. Mus mahomet Rhoads, 1896,

Sheik Mahomet, south-central Ethiopia.

Considered part of the M. setulosus species group. Morphologically not very clearly distinguished from other species of Mus occurring further south, such as M. minu-toides; however, it has a grayish rather than pure white belly and a unique dark grayish-brown dorsal color. Sometimes also claimed to occur in south-western Kenya and south-western Uganda but these populations are here referred, on genetic grounds, to M. setulosus . Monotypic.

Distribution. Widespread in the highlands of Eritrea and Ethiopia at elevations of 1500-3200 m.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 63-73 mm, tail 46-60 mm, ear 9-13 mm, hindfoot 14— 15 mm; weight 6-13 g. The Mahomet Mouse is very small and has a short tail. Fur is dense, short, and fairly coarse, dark grayish brown flecked with buff above, and grayish white below, sometimes with a pale orange tinge. Tail is short (¢.74% of head-body length), and is dark above and paler below. Ears are moderately large and darkly pigmented, covered with many short buff hairs, and without postauricular white spots. Females have five pairs of nipples. Chromosomal complementis 2n = 36, FNa = 34.

Habitat. Montane forest edge, scrub, and grassland.

Food and Feeding. The Mahomet Mouse probably feeds on seeds and insects.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Mahomet Mice are terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Aniskin et al. (1998), Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Rupp (1980), Yalden & Largen (1992).