444.

West African Shaggy Rat

Dasymys rufulus

French: Dasymys roux / German: Rote Wollhaarratte / Spanish: Rata peluda de Africa occidental

Other common names: Rufous Dasymys, Rufous Shaggy Rat, West African Dasymys

Taxonomy. Dasymys rufulus G. S. Miller, 1900,

Mt Coffee, Liberia.

Following the conclusions of M. D. Carleton and C. Martinez in 1991, D. rufulus is regarded as a distinct species,restricted to West Africa. S. K. Mullin and colleagues suggested in 2004 that certain Central African populations could refer to D. rufulus, but A. Monadjem and coworkers in 2015 labeled these populations provisionally as D. cf. incomtus . Monotypic.

Distribution. W Africa from Senegal E to Nigeria.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 130-170 mm, tail 120-160 mm, ear 17-21 mm, hindfoot 30-35 mm; weight 45-125 g. The West African Shaggy Rat, like its congeners, has soft, shaggy, long-haired fur colored reddish brown dorsally, rufous-ringed on mid-back and rump, and dull gray ventrally. Head is broad, with short muzzle, vibrissae long, and ears rounded and well furred on inside. Tail is relatively long (c.100% of head-body length), heavily scaled, sparsely haired, and darker above than below.

Habitat. Swampy areas in wetlands.

Food and Feeding. The West African Shaggy Rat is herbivorous, eating grasses and leaves.

Breeding. Gestation lasts 32 days. Litter size in captivity is 2-3.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal, and a good swimmer, the West African Shaggy Rat occupies shallow burrows around grass tussocks.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Carleton & Martinez (1991), Coe (1975), Duplantier & Ba (2001), Duplantier & Granjon (1990), Gautun (1972), Monadjem et al. (2015), Mullin, Pillay & Taylor (2004).