Malacomys lukolelae (Hatt, 1934)

Guy G. Musser & Michael D. Carleton, 1993, Order Rodentia - Family Muridae, Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 501-755 : 608

Malacomys lukolelae (Hatt, 1934) . Am. Mus. Novit., 708:13.

TYPE LOCALITY: Zaire, Lukolela .

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from the type locality.

COMMENTS: Petter (1975c) recorded lukolelae from Central African Republic, but the specimens we have seen from that series represent an undescribed species of Praomys ; M. lukolelae is still only represented by the three specimens in the type series ( Van der Straeten and Dudu, 1990). Originally described by Hatt (1934b) as a subspecies of Praomys tullbergi, but lukolelae's long and very slim hind feet, tip of short fifth digit extending only to base of digital pad of fourth digit, very large ears, cranial conformation, and molar dental patterns associate it with Malacomys, especially M. verschureni.