608.

Gotel Mountain Softfurred Mouse

Praomys obscurus

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

Other common names: Gotel Mountain Praomys, Obscure Praomys, Obscure Soft-Furred Mouse

Taxonomy. Praomys hartwingi obscurus Hutterer & Dieterlen, 1992, Gangirwal, Gotel Mountains, Mambilla Plateau, 2300 m, south-eastern Nigeria.

Praomys obscurus is one of eight species in the P tullbergi species group and distinguished based on molecular grounds. It was previously considered a subspecies of P. hartwigi . Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to the Gotel Mts, SE Nigeria. Descriptive notes. Head-body 108-137 mm, tail 149-174 mm, ear 19-21 mm, hindfoot 26-28 mm; weight 34-60 g. Fur of the Gotel Mountain Soft-furred Mouse is dark brown to grayish black above, without russet tinge of Hartwig’s Soft-furred Mouse ( P. hartwigi), slightly paler on flanks, and whitish gray below. Dorsum and venter are separated by think pale reddish brown line. Tail is very long (c.140% of head-body length). Forefeet and hindfeet are pale. Forefeet have four functional digits; first digit is reduced to small tubercle with very small claw. Hindfeet have five clawed digits. Females have three pairs of nipples.

Habitat. Relic patches of forest and associated habitats at elevations of 1900-2300 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Based on a sample of two Gotel Mountain Soft-furred Mice, litters have 3-young.

Activity patterns. The Gotel Mountain Soft-furred Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red Last.

Bibliography. Happold (2013a), Hutterer et al. (1992), Monadjem et al. (2015).