Dendromus mesomelas (Brants, 1827)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Nesomyidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 156-203 : 201

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6600357

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6600317

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03993828-FFE0-0F44-FFFF-F924C894F235

treatment provided by

Felipe (2022-05-31 19:24:34, last updated 2024-11-26 00:29:20)

scientific name

Dendromus mesomelas
status

 

57. View Plate 8: Nesomyidae

Brants’s African Climbing Mouse

Dendromus mesomelas View in CoL

French: Dendromus de Brants / German: Brants-Klettermaus / Spanish: Raton trepador africano de Brants

Other common names: Brants's Climbing Mouse

Taxonomy. Dendromys mesomelas Brants, 1827 ,

east of Port Elizabeth , Sunday’s River, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Dendromus mesomelas was previously considered to extend its distribution across to the highlands of East Africa, but these populations have been assigned to a variety of other species. Taxonomic relationships among various isolated populations in southern Africa require investigation. Monotypic.

Distribution. E & S South Africa and W Swaziland, with isolated records from extreme S DR Congo, NW Zambia, N Botswana, NE Namibia (Caprivi Strip), and C Mozambique. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 67-88 mm, tail 77-121 mm, ear 11-17 mm, hindfoot 16-23 mm; weight 6-15 g. Brants’s African Climbing Mouse is small but large for a species of Dendromus . Tail is very long and prehensile; it is darker above than below. Fur is long, soft, and bright brown to rufous-brown dorsally and off-white ventrally. Base of each hair is dark gray. Mid-dorsal stripe extends from neck to base of tail, which can be indistinct. Ears are relatively large and rounded. Limbs are adapted for climbing. Second to fourth digits of forelimbs have elongated claws, and first and fifth digits are greatly reduced. Hindlimb has second to fourth digits elongated,fifth digit long and opposable with a claw, and first digit greatly reduced.

Habitat. Various grassland habitats, especially those associated with wetlands or moist environments. Brants’s African Climbing Mouse can also be relatively abundant in Afro-montane forest.

Food and Feeding. Brants’s African Climbing Mouse is predominantly granivorous but also eats insects.

Breeding. In South Africa, pregnant Brants’s African Climbing Mice have been collected during the rainy season. They build grass nests with single entrances, usually attached to a grass stem or shrub close to ground level; they also use bird nests. Litter sizes are 2-6 young.

Activity patterns. Brants’s African Climbing Mouse is nocturnal and apparently predominantly arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In captivity, Brants’s African Climbing Mouse appears to be gregarious, suggesting thatit is social.

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

Bibliography. Armstrong & van Hensbergen (1996), Avery (1992b), Choate (1972), De Graaff (1981), Monadjem (1997b, 1999a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005), Plavsic (2015), Rowe-Rowe (1986), Rowe-Rowe & Lowry (1982), Rowe-Rowe & Meester (1982a), Smithers (1971), Solano et al. (2014), Taylor (1998).

Gallery Image

1. White-tailed Tree Rat (Brachytarsomys albicauda), 2. Hairy-tailed Tree Rat (Brachytarsomys villosus), 3. Sleek-furred Ground Rat (Gymnuromys robert), 4. Antsingy Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus antsingy), 5. Carleton’s Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus carletoni), 6. Daniel’s Tufted-tail Rat (Elurus daniels), 7. Ellerman’s Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus ellermani), 8. Grandidier’s Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus grandidieri), 9. Major's Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus majori), 10. Lesser Tufted-taill Rat (Elurus minor), 11. Milne-Edwards’s Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus myoxinus), 12. White-tailed Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus penicillatus), 13. Petter’s Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus petteri), 14. Tanala Tufted-taill Rat (Elwurus tanala), 15. Webb's Tufted-tail Rat (Eliurus webbi), 16. Anjozorobe Naked-tail Forest Mouse (Voalavo antsahabensis), 17. Northern Naked-tail Forest Mouse (Voalavo gymnocaudus), 18. Bastard’s Big-footed Mouse (Macrotarsomys bastardi), 19. Ankarafantsika Big-footed Mouse (Macrotarsomys ingens), 20. Petter’s Big-footed Mouse (Macrotarsomys peter), 21. Koopman' ’ s Forest Mouse (Monticolomys koopmani), 22. Giant Jumping Rat (Hypogeomys antimena), 23. Small Short-tailed Rat (Brachywromys betsileoensis), 24. Large Short-tailed Rat (Brachyuromys ramirohitra), 25. Audebert’s Forest Rat (Nesomys audeberti), 26. Lamberton’s Forest Rat (Nesomys lambertoni), 27. Red Forest Rat (Nesomys rufus), 28. Delany’s Swamp Mouse (Delanymys brooksi), 29. African White-tailed Rat (Mystromys albicaudatus), 30. Shortridge’s Pygmy Rock Mouse (Petromyscus shortridger), 31. Short-eared Pygmy Rock Mouse (Petromyscus monticularis), 32. Barbour’s Pygmy Rock Mouse (Petromyscus barbouri), 33. Common Pygmy Rock Mouse (Petromyscus collinus)

Gallery Image

Distribution. E & S South Africa and W Swaziland, with isolated records from extreme S DR Congo, NW Zambia, N Botswana, NE Namibia (Caprivi Strip), and C Mozambique.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

SubOrder

Myomorpha

SuperFamily

Muroidea

Family

Nesomyidae

Genus

Dendromus