424.

Father Basilio’s Striped Mouse

Hybomys basilii

French: Hybomys de Bioko / German: Bioko-Streifenmaus / Spanish: Raton listado de Basilio

Other common names: Bioko Hybomys, Bioko Striped Mouse, Father Basilio’s Hybomys

Taxonomy. Hybomys basilii Eisentraut, 1965,

Mocaltal, Fernando Poo (= Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea), 1200 m.

Hybomys basilii, previously considered a subspecies of H. wunivittatus, was raised to species rank by E. Van der Straeten in 1985. Monotypic.

Distribution. Bioko I (Equatorial Guinea).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 118-160 mm, tail 90-132 mm, ear 15-20 mm, hindfoot 29-33 mm; weight 70-95 g. This medium-sized mouse generally has an indistinct mid-dorsal stripe which,if present, extends from mid-back to base of tail. Tail is relatively short (c.85% of head-body length) and finely scaled with short dark bristles. Other characters are similar to those of congeners.

Habitat. Lowland and montane forest at 450-2000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Pregnant females have been observed in October and December. Litter size 1-2.

Activity patterns. Father Basilio’s Striped Mouse is strictly terrestrial and mostly nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Eisentraut (1965, 1973), Monadjem et al. (2015), Van der Straeten (1985).