Praomys verschureni (Verheyen & Van der Straeten, 1977)

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 : 811

publication ID

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

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6868870

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E30E275-34E9-FF58-E46E-298F72EA8874

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Praomys verschureni
status

 

617. View Plate 52: Muridae

Verschuren’s Soft-furred Mouse

Praomys verschureni View in CoL

French: Praomys de Verschuren / German: Verschuren-Weichhaarratte / Spanish: Raton de pelaje suave de Verschuren

Other common names: \erschuren's Praomys, Verschuren's Swamp Rat

Taxonomy. Malacomys verschureni W. N. Verheyen & Van der Straeten, 1977 View in CoL , Ma-miki, Orientale Province, DR Congo.

Praomys verschureni is in the P. lukolelae species group, and it can be distinguished from P. lukolelae based on molecular and biogeographical grounds. Praomys wver-schureni was originally classified in the genus Malacomys based on its long hind-feet, but it is genetically closest toPraomys. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from a few scattered localities N & E of the Congo River, DR Congo. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head—body 109-135 mm,tail 123-162 mm, ear 19-23 mm, hindfoot 28-32 mm; weight 40-65 g. Fur of Verschuren’s Soft-furred Mouse is dark gray, washed with brown above, brown on flanks, and gray below; upper and lower surfaces are well demarcated. Tail is very long (c.120% of head-body length), dark above and below and mostly naked but with sparse short bristles. Ears are rounded, and inner and outer surfaces are covered sparsely with short brownish hairs. Hindfeet are relatively long as inspecies of Malacomys , with six plantar pads. Hindfeet and forefeet are white. Females have three pairs of nipples. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 58 and FN = 58-60.

Habitat. [Lowland rainforests and submontane forests at elevations of up to 1800 m.

Food and Feeding. Verschuren’s Soft-furred Mouse is omnivorous and eats invertebrates and starchy material.

Breeding. Sparse records indicate that breeding occurs in September—April. Females typically have three embryos.

Activity patterns. Verschuren’s Soft-furred Mouse is presumably nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Kennis et al. (2011), Monadjem et al. (2015), Verheyen & Van der Straeten (1977).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Muridae

Genus

Praomys

Loc

Praomys verschureni

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr 2017
2017
Loc

Malacomys verschureni

W. N. Verheyen & Van der Straeten 1977
1977
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