Order Rodentia - Family Muridae
Author
Wilson, Don E.
Author
Reeder, DeeAnn
text
2005
The Johns Hopkins University Press
Baltimore
Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2
1189
1531
book chapter
0-8018-8221-4
10.5281/zenodo.7316535
Dasymys montanus
Thomas 1906
Dasymys montanus
Thomas 1906
,
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 18: 143
.
Type Locality:
Uganda
, Ruwenzori East, Mubuku Valley,
12,500 ft
(
3810 m
);
00°22’N
,
30°00’E
(W.
Verheyen et al., 2003
).
Vernacular Names:
Ruwenzori Dasymys
.
Distribution:
Known only from Ruwenzori Mtns,
Uganda
, between 2600 and
3810 m
(
Kerbis Peterhans et al., 1998
); a montane Western Rift endemic.
Conservation:
IUCN
– Vulnerable.
Discussion:
Usually included in
D. incomtus
(
Delany, 1975
)
, but distinguished from that species by its long, fine fur that is very dark over upperparts and dark gray washed with buff on underparts; very short tail; short rostrum; low, squat cranium; wide zygomatic breadth (
Thomas, 1906
a
; specimens in
BMNH
examined by Musser).
Dasymys montanus
is replaced by
D. incomtus
at lower altitudes on the E slopes of the Ruwenzoris, and both are recorded from
2600 m
, the lowest point for
D. montanus
and highest for
D. incomtus
(
Kerbis Peterhans et al., 1998
)
. Based on multivariate analyses of craniometric traits derived from
holotypes
, W.
Verheyen et al. (2003)
suggested that
montanus
and
medius
(
holotype
from Ruwenzori Mtns at
1800 m
) represented the same population and that both taxa were synonyms of
D. incomtus
. Our study of
holotypes
and other series, including the material reported by
Kerbis Peterhans et al. (1998)
, indicates
D. montanus
to be a separate species from the lower-altitude
D. incomtus
(
medius
).