Mus saxicola, Elliot, 1839

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Muridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 536-884 : 795

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6887260

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6827287

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E30E275-34E6-FF57-E46A-2F4E7EB28B4D

treatment provided by

Carolina (2022-07-01 17:33:32, last updated 2024-11-29 19:21:54)

scientific name

Mus saxicola
status

 

558. View Plate 50: Muridae

Saxicolous Mouse

Mus saxicola View in CoL

French: Souris des roches / German: Felsen-Stachelzwergmaus / Spanish: Raton de roca

Other common names: Elliot's Spiny Mouse

Taxonomy. Mus saxicola Elliot, 1839 View in CoL ,

Madras, India.

A morphological and molecular study by P. Chevret and colleagues in 2003 confirmed its position in the subgenus Pyromys, where it is sister to M. platythrix . Previously considered a synonym of M. platythrix . Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M.s.saxicolaElliot,1839—India(Maharashtra,AndhraPradesh,Karnataka,andTamilNadustates).

M.s.gurkhaThomas,1914—NW&NEIndia(HimachalPradesh,Uttarakhand,Jharkhand,andWestBengalstates)andSNepal.

M. s. sadhu Wroughton, 1911 — SW & SE Pakistan (Balochistan and Sindh provinces) and W & C India (Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh states). View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head—body 71-112 mm,tail 53-96 mm, hindfoot 16-19 mm; weight 18-22 g. A medium-sized mouse which varies in dorsal coloration from pale sandy to dark gray brown; dirty white ventrally. Fur is more orless spiny. Tail is bicolored and shorter (less than 90%) than head-body length. Females bear 5-6 pairs of mammae. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 22-26.

Habitat. Subtropical dry deciduous and scrub forests, grassland and rocky habitats, at elevations up to 1000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Saxicolous Mice are nocturnal and fossorial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Agrawal (2000), Chevret et al. (2003), Corbet & Hill (1992), Ellerman (1961), Marshall (1977a).

Gallery Image

532. House Mouse (Mus musculus), 533. Western Mediterranean Mouse (Mus spretus), 534. Macedonian Mouse (Mus macedonicus), 536. Cypriot Mouse (Mus cypriacus), 537. Ethiopian Striped Mouse (Mus imberbis), 538. Mahomet Mouse (Mus mahomet), 539. Hausa Mouse (Mus haussa), 541. Baoule Mouse (Mus baouler), 542. Matthey’s Mouse (Mus mattheyi), 543. Toad Mouse (Mus bufo), 544. Callewaert’s Mouse (Mus callewaerti), 545. Gounda Mouse (Mus goundae), 546. [MISSING], 548. Peters’s Mouse (Mus setulosus), 549. Thomas's Mouse (Mus sorella), 550. [MISSING], 552. Desert Pygmy Mouse (Mus indutus), 554. Setzer’s Mouse (Mus setzert), 555. Little Indian Field Mouse (Mus booduga), 557. Flat-haired Mouse (Mus platythrix), 558. Saxicolous Mouse (Mus saxicola), 559. Earth-colored Mouse (Mus terricolor), 560. Servant Mouse (Mus famulus), 561. Ceylon Spiny Mouse (Mus fernandoni), 563. Ryukyu Mouse (Mus caroli), 564. Fawn-colored Mouse (Mus cervicolor), 566. Sheath-tailed Mouse (Mus fragilicauda), 567. [MISSING], 569. Indochinese Shrew-like Mouse (Mus pahari), 570. Shortridge’s Mouse (Mus shortridgei), 571. Sumatran Shrew-like Mouse (Mus crociduroides), 572. Javan Shrew-like Mouse (Mus vulcani)

Gallery Image

Subspecies and Distribution. M.s.saxicolaElliot,1839—India(Maharashtra,AndhraPradesh,Karnataka,andTamilNadustates). M.s.gurkhaThomas,1914—NW&NEIndia(HimachalPradesh,Uttarakhand,Jharkhand,andWestBengalstates)andSNepal. M. s. sadhu Wroughton, 1911 — SW & SE Pakistan (Balochistan and Sindh provinces) and W & C India (Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh states).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Muridae

Tribe

Vandeleurini

Genus

Mus