15.

Kemp's Spiny Mouse

Acomys kempi

French: Acomys de Kemp / German: Kemp-Stachelmaus / Spanish: Raton espinoso de Kemp

Taxonomy. Acomys kempi Dollman, 1911,

N Guaso Nyiro, Chanler Falls, Kenya.

After describing it as a new species, G. Dollman found it to be related to A. ignitus with distinct morphological characteristics and finally included it as a subspecies of A. ignitus . Similarly, in the description of another new species from the same locality named A. pulchellus, Dollman in 1911 also found it to resemble A. kempu. This allowed N. Hollister in 1919 to put the latter in synonymy. G. G. Musser and M. D. Carleton in 2005 concluded that A. ignitus montanus named by E. Heller in 1914 from Mount Marsabit, Kenya, was not a subspecies of A. ignitus but a synonym of A. kempi . After having been placed in A. cahirinus by H. W. Setzer in 1975, A. kempi was rehabilitated by L. L.. Janecek and colleagues in 1991, who found it clearly distinct from A. ignitus and A. cahirinus . Monotypic.

Distribution. S Ethiopia and Kenya, E of the Rift Valley; it may also occur in S Somalia and NE Tanzania.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 90-110 mm, tail 82-100 mm, ear 13-18 mm, hindfoot 15-16 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Pelage is orange-brown and its belly is pure white. Tail is ¢.94% of head-body length.

Habitat. Rocky habitats in dry savannas, semi-deserts, and Somali-Masai bushland at elevations of 600-1800 m.

Food and Feeding. Kemp’s Spiny Mouse might be insectivorous.

Breeding. Based on old observations, pregnant Kemp’s Spiny Mice have 1-2 embryos.

Activity patterns. Kemp’s Spiny Mouse is terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Kemp's Spiny Mouse occurs in various protected areas of East Africa.

Bibliography. Dollman (1911b, 1914), Dieterlen (2013f), Heller (1914), Hollister (1919), Janecek (1990), Monadjem et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005), Setzer (1975).