Mus nitidulus

Shimada, Tomofumi, Aplin, Kenneth P., Jenkins, Paulina & Suzuki, Hitoshi, 2007, Rediscovery of Mus nitidulus Blyth (Rodentia: Muridae), an endemic murine rodent of the central basin of Myanmar, Zootaxa 1498, pp. 45-68 : 61-62

Distribution of Mus nitidulus

The historical specimens referred to M. nitidulus all come from localities in the central basin of Myanmar ( Fig. 2 ; Table 1). Of these, the series of mice from around Pegu, in the southern part of the central basin, show the closest morphological resemblance to the genotyped specimens from the vicinity of Hmawbi. These localities are geographically close and environmentally similar, and we are confident that the historical and contemporary samples represent the same taxon. Two specimens referred by Ellerman to M. cervicolor nitidulus come from the more northerly localities of Kindat on the lower Chindwin River and from Mandalay Hill, both situated in Mandalay Division. Of these, the specimen from Mandalay Hill [BMNH 18.7.1.7] closely resembles other examples of M. nitidulus in external and cranial morphology and is tentatively accepted as a northerly record of this species. In contrast, the specimen from Kindat [BMNH 18.7.1.1] is more similar in cranial morphology to examples of M. cervicolor popaeus , although it differs from both taxa in having a tail that appears from the tag measurements to be subequal to, rather than much shorter than, the combined length of head and body. This specimen is tentatively allocated to M. cervicolor popaeus .

All confirmed examples of M. nitidulus thus come from the alluvial flats along the lower reaches of the Irrawady (alternative spelling Ayeyarwady) and Sittang Rivers. Today, this area is almost entirely cleared of original vegetation and employed for lowland rice production. The original vegetation is reconstructed as a mosaic of evergreen and monsoonal forests. Habitat in the more northerly parts of the central basin of Myanmar is more variable, with a mosaic of deciduous forests and drier shrub lands. More survey work is needed in this area to determine the northerly limit of the range of Mus nitidulus and its habitat associations in this area. Mus nitidulus was not obtained by Aplin during short collecting trips in 2003 to West Bago and Mandalay Divisions, and to North Shan and Mon States. At this time, specimens of M. cervicolor and M. musculus castaneus were obtained in each of Mandalay Division and Shan State, specimens of M. caroli in Mon State, and specimens of M. lepidoides in Mandalay and West Bago Divisions.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Map showing mentioned geographic features and collecting localities in Myanmar of Mus nitidulus (solid circles) and Mus cervicolor popaeus (open circles). Locality abbreviations: H = Hmawbi; K = Kindat; MH = Mandalay Hill; MP = Mount Popa; P = Pegu; S = Shwegyin. The specimens from Mandalay Hill and Kindat are only tentatively assigned on morphological criteria to their respective species.