Dasymys rufulus, G. S. Miller, 1900
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6887260 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6812098 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E30E275-34B8-FF09-E46D-29147F0B892B |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Dasymys rufulus |
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West African Shaggy Rat
French: Dasymys roux / German: Rote Wollhaarratte / Spanish: Rata peluda de Africa occidental
Other common names: Rufous Dasymys, Rufous Shaggy Rat, West African Dasymys
Taxonomy. Dasymys rufulus G. S. Miller, 1900 View in CoL ,
Mt Coffee, Liberia.
Following the conclusions of M. D. Carleton and C. Martinez in 1991, D. rufulus is regarded as a distinct species,restricted to West Africa. S. K. Mullin and colleagues suggested in 2004 that certain Central African populations could refer to D. rufulus , but A. Monadjem and coworkers in 2015 labeled these populations provisionally as D. cf. incomtus . Monotypic.
Distribution. W Africa from Senegal E to Nigeria. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 130-170 mm, tail 120-160 mm, ear 17-21 mm, hindfoot 30-35 mm; weight 45-125 g. The West African Shaggy Rat, like its congeners, has soft, shaggy, long-haired fur colored reddish brown dorsally, rufous-ringed on mid-back and rump, and dull gray ventrally. Head is broad, with short muzzle, vibrissae long, and ears rounded and well furred on inside. Tail is relatively long (c.100% of head-body length), heavily scaled, sparsely haired, and darker above than below.
Habitat. Swampy areas in wetlands.
Food and Feeding. The West African Shaggy Rat is herbivorous, eating grasses and leaves.
Breeding. Gestation lasts 32 days. Litter size in captivity is 2-3.
Activity patterns. Nocturnal, and a good swimmer, the West African Shaggy Rat occupies shallow burrows around grass tussocks.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List.
Bibliography. Carleton & Martinez (1991), Coe (1975), Duplantier & Ba (2001), Duplantier & Granjon (1990), Gautun (1972), Monadjem et al. (2015), Mullin, Pillay & Taylor (2004).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
