476.

Buffoon Striped Grass Mouse

Lemniscomys macculus

French: Rat-rayé d'Ouganda / German: Bajazzo-Streifengrasmaus / Spanish: Raton de hierba listado bufén

Other common names: Buffoon Lemniscomys

Taxonomy. Arvicanthis macculus Thomas & Wroughton, 1910,

Mokia, SE Rwenzori, Uganda.

L. macculus, formerly included in L. striatus, was elevated to species rank by E. Van der Straeten and W. N. Verheyen in 1979. It is genetically close to (cytochrome-b divergence 3:3%) and shares chromosomal and morphological characters with L. bellieri, and the two may be conspecific. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Africa including NE DR Congo, S South Sudan, Uganda, SW Ethiopia, W Kenya, extreme NW Tanzania, and N Rwanda.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 81-118 mm, tail 70-150 mm, ear 10-20 mm, hindfoot 20-26 mm; weight 31-41 g. The Buffoon Striped Grass Mouse is the second smallest grass mouse. Fur is very dark brown above, contrasting with pure white below, with inconspicuous black mid-dorsalstripe; each flank has eight lateral stripes, upper four broken into pale buffy spots. Tail is long (c.110-120% of head-body length), brownish-black above, paler below. Forefeet and hindfeet are whitish or whitish yellow. Females have 2+2 = 4 pairs of nipples. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 56, FN = 60.

Habitat. Drier open grassland savanna, including riverbeds and rocky areas; not found in cultivated areas.

Food and Feeding. Stomach contents comprised only grasses.

Breeding. Pregnancies recorded in wet season in South Sudan. Females have 5-7 embryos.

Activity patterns. Buffoon Striped Grass Mice are terrestrial and partly diurnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Nests are made on the ground, in burrows or toad holes.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Bulatova et al. (2002), Castiglia et al. (2002), Happold (2013a), Monadjem et al. (2015), Van der Straeten & Verheyen (1979a), Verheyen & Verschuren (1966).