Dark-colored Brush-furred Rat

discussion

Discussion: Subgenus Lophuromys, L. aquilus species group (W. Verheyen et al., 2002). Described as a species, which was recognized in early checklists (G. M. Allen, 1939; Ellerman, 1940 d), but subsequently included in L. flavopunctatus (Misonne, 1974; Musser and Carleton, 1993). Analyses of morphometric traits and mtDNA cytochrome b sequences by W. Verheyen et al. (2002) demonstrated the conspecificity of the synonyms with L. aquilus and definition of the species relative to others in the L. flavopunctatus complex of species. Geographic samples of L. aquilus form a monophyletic clade most closely related to a clade containing the Ethiopian L. brunneus and L. chrysopus, and Kenyan L. zena, both clusters considered to be members of the L. aquilus species group (W. Verheyen et al., 2002). Maddalena et al. (1989) reported chromosomal data for Burundi sample. Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics was used by Corti et al. (2000) to look at patterns of growth and cranial size and shape in L. aquilus (reported as flavopunctatus) compared with L. sikapusi and L. woosnami. Stanley et al. (2000) documented specimens from the Eastern Arc Mtns of Tanzania. Altitudinal distribution on Ugand

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

distribution

Distribution: Lowland and montane habitats from NE Angola (Crawford-Cabral, 1998) throughout the Dem. Rep. Congo, Rwanda (Corti et al., 2000; Monfort, 1992) and Burundi (Maddalena et al., 1989) to Uganda (Delaney, 1975), Kenya (Hollister, 1919; except montane habitats on Aberdare Range and Mt Kenya; see account of L. zena), and south through Tanzania (Swinnerton and Hayman, 1951; except Mt Meru; see account of L. verhageni) to Malawi (Ansell and Dowsett, 1988), N Zambia (Ansell, 1978), and NE Mozambique (Smithers and Lobão Tello, 1976); recorded as either L. aquilus or L. flavopunctatus in faunal accounts.

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

materials_examined

Type Locality: East Africa, Tanzania, Mt Kilimanjaro, 8000 ft (2650 m; coordinates given by W. Verheyen et al., 2002).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

biology_ecology

Habitat. Mountain forest and moorlands at elevations of 1700 - 3600 m. Dark-colored Brush-furred Rats are found in different habitats on slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro including cultivated fields, shrubby areas, degraded mountain forest, and mountain forest and alpine moorland — all characterized by more than 2000 mm of rainfall / year, important variation in intensity of daily sunshine (clear to misty), and high temperature fluctuations between day and night (regular nightly frost occurs in moorlands).

Muridae