30.

Gray Brush-furred Rat

Lophuromys cinereus

French: Rat-hérissé du Kahuzi-Biega / German: Graue Blrstenhaarmaus / Spanish: Rata de pelaje de cepillo gris

Taxonomy. Lophuromys cinereus Dieterlen & Gelmroth, 1974,

Marais Mukaba, DR Congo.

Lophuromys cinereus was a synonym of L. flavopunctatus according to G. G. Musser and M. D. Carleton in 2005, but it was retained as a valid species by F. Dieterlen in 2013 and A. Monadjem and colleagues in 2015 based on morphology. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality in Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, E DR Congo.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 110-129 mm, tail 65-74 mm, ear 17-21 mm, hindfoot 20-25 mm; weight 45-56 g. The Gray Brush-furred Rat is medium-sized, with tail c.5b7% of head-body length. Dorsum is brown-gray, and venter is pale gray. Females have three pairs of mammae.

Habitat. Montane swamp ( Cyperus latifolius, Cyperaceae) and dry short grasslands, with Hagenia (Rosaceae) and Kotschya (Fabaceae) trees, at elevations of 2275-2350 m.

Food and Feeding. Arthropods and mollusks represented more than 50% of stomach contents from Gray Brush-furred Rats; plant material was also present.

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. The Gray Brush-furred Rat comes from a poorly surveyed area, so limited data are available on its ecology and conservation status.

Bibliography. Dieterlen (1987 2013g), Dieterlen & Gelmroth (1974), Monadjem et al. (2015), Musser & Car leton (2005).