617.

Verschuren’s Soft-furred Mouse

Praomys verschureni

French: Praomys de Verschuren / German: Verschuren-Weichhaarratte / Spanish: Raton de pelaje suave de Verschuren

Other common names: \erschuren's Praomys, Verschuren's Swamp Rat

Taxonomy. Malacomys verschureni W. N. Verheyen & Van der Straeten, 1977, Ma-miki, Orientale Province, DR Congo.

Praomys verschureni is in the P. lukolelae species group, and it can be distinguished from P. lukolelae based on molecular and biogeographical grounds. Praomys wver-schureni was originally classified in the genus Malacomys based on its long hind-feet, but it is genetically closest toPraomys. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from a few scattered localities N & E of the Congo River, DR Congo.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 109-135 mm,tail 123-162 mm, ear 19-23 mm, hindfoot 28-32 mm; weight 40-65 g. Fur of Verschuren’s Soft-furred Mouse is dark gray, washed with brown above, brown on flanks, and gray below; upper and lower surfaces are well demarcated. Tail is very long (c.120% of head-body length), dark above and below and mostly naked but with sparse short bristles. Ears are rounded, and inner and outer surfaces are covered sparsely with short brownish hairs. Hindfeet are relatively long as inspecies of Malacomys, with six plantar pads. Hindfeet and forefeet are white. Females have three pairs of nipples. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 58 and FN = 58-60.

Habitat. [Lowland rainforests and submontane forests at elevations of up to 1800 m.

Food and Feeding. Verschuren’s Soft-furred Mouse is omnivorous and eats invertebrates and starchy material.

Breeding. Sparse records indicate that breeding occurs in September—April. Females typically have three embryos.

Activity patterns. Verschuren’s Soft-furred Mouse is presumably nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Kennis et al. (2011), Monadjem et al. (2015), Verheyen & Van der Straeten (1977).