Praomys rostratus ( Miller, 1900 )

Denys, Christiane, Missoup, Alain Didier, Nicolas, Violaine, Sylla, Morlaye, Douno, Mory, Kadjo, Blaise, Lalis, Aude & Monadjem, Ara, 2025, Annotated checklist of rodents from a biodiversity hotspot, Mount Nimba (West Africa), Zoosystema 47 (27), pp. 617-689 : 645

Praomys rostratus ( Miller, 1900)

Mus tullbergi rostratus Miller, 1900: 637 .

Praomys tullbergi rostratus – Rosevear 1969: 400.

REMARKS

Described from Mount Coffee in Liberia, it was neither recorded by Heim de Balsac & Lamotte (1958) nor by Gautun et al. (1986) from the Guinean side of Mount Nimba, perhaps due to a lack of taxonomic knowledge at that time when P. rostratus was typically confounded with P. tullbergi . The Nimba P. rostratus are characterized by a dorsal reddish-brown pelage and a white belly with a grey basis. The tail is longer than HB (mean Tail: HB ratio: 112%, range: 105- 128). The main difference between P. rostratus and P. tullbergi is size, with P. rostratus being larger and heavier on average than P. tullbergi . Praomys rostratus has a longer hindfoot (mean: 24.5 mm) but there is some overlap between individuals of both species as presented in Table 7 . Like other representatives of the tullbergi complex, the specimens of the Nimba P. rostratus do not harbour any marked fronto-parietal crests. The rostrum is long, the brain case wide and round. The infraorbital foramen stops just at the level of the t4 of the M1. The tympanic bullae are small and round. On the upper molars, the t2 and t3 cusps are not completely aligned transversally, the t1 is not isolated. There is the presence of a small t9. The upper M3 is small and when unworn displays three main cusps. On the lower molars, one can see a cv5 on the M/1 and a posterior cingulum. The lower M/3 is small but displays two rows of cups.