Steatomys krebsii Peters 1852

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Nesomyidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 930-955 : 944

Steatomys krebsii Peters 1852

Steatomys krebsii Peters 1852 , Reise nach Mossambique, Saugethiere: 165.

Type Locality: South Africa, Kaffraria.

Vernacular Names: Kreb's African Fat Mouse.

Synonyms: Steatomys angolensis Hill and Carter 1937 ; Steatomys bensoni Ansell 1958 ; Steatomys bradleyi Hill and Carter 1937 ; Steatomys chiversi Roberts 1931 ; Steatomys mariae Ansell 1958 ; Steatomys orangiae Roberts 1929 ; Steatomys pentonyx (Sclater 1899) ; Steatomys tongensis Roberts 1931 ; Steatomys transvaalensis Roberts 1929 .

Distribution: Patchy distribution in Southern African Subregion—C and SW Angola ( Crawford-Cabral, 1998), NE Namibia (Caprivi Strip and vicinity; specimens in USNM), N Botswana ( Smithers, 1971), W Zambia ( Ansell, 1978), and South Africa (Western, Eastern and Northern Cape Provs., E Free State, Northwest Prov., and NW KwaZulu-Natal).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: A distinctive small-bodied species with a long tail and small hind feet; reviewed by Coetzee (1977 a), Meester et al. (1986), and Ansell (1978). The holotypes of angolensis and bradleyi (in AMNH) are unproblematic examples of S. krebsii . Populations in KwaZulu-Natal Prov., E South Africa, reviewed by Taylor (1998), who transferred tongensis from S. parvus to S. krebsii . De Graaff (1997 hh) mapped the spotty distribution but suspected that it reflected lack of focused collection.