603.

Southern African Multtimammate Mouse

Mastomys coucha

French: Mastomys austral / German: Sldliche Vielzitzenmaus / Spanish: Raton multimamas de Africa meridional

Other common names: Southern African Mastomys

Taxonomy. Mus coucha A. Smith, 1834, Kuruman, between Orange River and Tropic of Capricorn, Northern Cape Province, South Africa.

Mastomys coucha is a cryptic species that can be distinguished chromosomally but not morphometrically from M. natalensis . Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to S Africa S ofthe Zambezi River (NW Namibia, and from C Zimbabwe S to SC South Africa); it probably occurs in E & S Botswana.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 82-119 mm, tail 70-107 mm, ear 13-20 mm, hindfoot 19-24 mm; weight 22-40 g. Fur of the Southern African Multimammate Mouse is darkish gray (young) to rusty brown (old) above and dark gray below. Tail is long (c.100% of head-body length) and scaly, dark above and below. Forefeet and hindfeet are whitish. Females have twelve pairs of nipples. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 36 and FN = 54.

Habitat. Grasslands, dry savannas, cultivated fields, and human habitations, generally receiving less than 800 mm/year. The Southern African Multimammate Mouse is common in disturbed habitats.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Breeding can be seasonal or continuous. Reproduction is triggered by chemicals in green grasses. Gestation lasts 21-22 days; mean littersizes are 8-10 young. Activity patterns. The Southern African Multimammate Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Avenant (1996), Coetzee (1965), Granjon et al. (1997), Happold (2013a), Linn (1991), Meester (1960), Monadjem et al. (2015), Venturi et al. (2003).