Muridae
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
536
884
book chapter
100954
10.5281/zenodo.6887260
a016af63-6437-427b-80b7-22bc9a002e20
978-84-16728-04-6
6887260
430.
Ethiopian Three-toed Grass Rat
Mylomys rex
French:
Mylomys roi
/
German:
Athiopien-Furchenzahnratte
/
Spanish:
Rata de hierba de tres dedos de Etiopia
Other common names:
Ethiopian Groove-toothed Rat
,
Ethiopian Mylomys
,
King Mylomys
Taxonomy.
Arvicanthis rex Thomas, 1906
,
Charada Forest, Kaffa, central Ethiopia.
Known only from holotype.
M. rex
was previously included variously in
Arvicanthis
and in
Pelomys
, but shown to belong to
Mylomys
. It is geographically disjunct from and larger in size than
M. dybowskii
. Monotypic.
Distribution.
Known only from type locality in Ethiopia.
Descriptive notes.
Head-body 212 mm, tail 175 mm, ear 24 mm, hindfoot 35 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Ethiopian Three-toed Grass Rat is a very large stoutly built rodent with coarse dark pelage and thicktail is similarlooking to a large
Arvicanthis
. Fur is speckled sandy brown above, redder around rump, contrasting sharply with bluish white on belly. Forefeet have three functional toes. Tail is long (83% of head-body length) and coarsely ringed.
Habitat.
Montane forest.
Food and Feeding.
No information.
Breeding.
No information.
Activity patterns.
No information.
Movements, Home range and Social organization.
No information.
Status and Conservation.
Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List.
Bibliography.
Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (1993, 2005), Yalden & Largen {1992),