Nesomyidae Author Don E. Wilson Author Russell A. Mittermeier Author Thomas E. Lacher, Jr text 2017 2017-11-30 Lynx Edicions Barcelona Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II 156 203 book chapter http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6600357 978-84-16728-04-6 6600357 63. Pousargues’s Fat Mouse Steatomys opimus French: Rat-adipeux de Pousargues / German: Pousargues-Fettmaus / Spanish: Ratén grueso de Pousargues Other common names: Pousargues African Fat Mouse Taxonomy. Steatomys opimus Pousargues, 1894 , “ Balao , dans le pays des Dakoas, par 5° 26’ de latitude Nord et environ 17° 40’ de longitude Est,” Central African Republic . This species is monotypic. Distribution. Narrowly distributed from S Cameroon E through Central African Republic, N DR Congo, and extreme SW South Sudan. Descriptive notes. Head-body 115-125 mm, tail 52-65 mm, ear 17-20 mm, hindfoot 18-20 mm; weight 30-50 g. Pousargues’s Fat Mouse is small-sized but large for a species of Steatomys . Tail is short and sparsely haired, darker above than below. Furis soft and grayish-brown dorsally, clearly demarcated from pure white belly. Chin, throat, and upper chest are white. Ears are relatively large and rounded. Limbs are white, with four digits on forefoot and five digits on hindfoot. It has ten nipples. Habitat. Tall tropical grasslands in savanna-forest mosaics, particularly those that are burned regularly. Food and Feeding. Pousargues’s Fat Mouse is insectivorous, feeding predominantly on termites. Breeding. Pousargues’s Fat Mouse breed during the wet season (June-December), and litter size is about three young. Activity patterns. Pousargues’s Fat Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial. It excavates a complex burrow, typically in a termite mound or burrow of an Aardvark (Orycteropus afer). Individuals put on fat during the wet season, allowing them to reduce activity during the dry season when they enter torpor. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Nests of Pousargues’s Fat Mice are typically occupied by a single individual. Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust. Bibliography. Genest-Villard (1979), Happold (2013k), Monadjem et al. (2015), Petter (1966¢), Petter & Genest (1970), Swanepoel & Schlitter (1978).