597.

Awash Multimammate Mouse

Mastomys awashensis

French: Mastomys de Awash / German: Awash-Vielzitzenmaus / Spanish: Raton multimamas de Awash

Other common names: Awash Mastomys

Taxonomy. Mastomys awashensis Lavrenchenko, Likhnova & Baskevich, 1998, bank of the Awash River near Lake Koka, Ethiopia.

Mastomys awashensis is distinguished based on phallic and spermatozoa morphology and craniometric, genetic, and chromosomal characteristics compared with other species of Mastomys . Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to Ethiopia, where it is known only from a few localities, mostly in the Rift Valley.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 116-127 mm, tail 111-123 mm, ear 18-20 mm, hindfoot 23-5-24-3 mm. Fur of the Awash Multimammate Mouse is blackish above with grayish rufous flanks and grayish venter, which is clearly demarcated from dorsum. Head is blackish, with yellowish rufous cheeks. Tail is long (c.103% of head-body length) and scaly. Forefeet and hindfeet are whitishabove, with pale claws. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 32; C-banding pattern differs from the Natal Multimammate Mouse ( M. natalensis) that has the same diploid number.

Habitat. Acacia ( Acacia, Fabaceae)commiphera ( Commiphora, Burseraceae) savanna and adjacent agriculturalfields.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Awash Multimammate Mouse is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Lavrenchenko, Likhnova et al. (1998), Monadjem et al. (2015).