Rudd's mouse
| Rudd's mouse Temporal range: Recent | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Subfamily: | Deomyinae |
| Genus: | Uranomys Dollman, 1909 |
| Species: | U. ruddi |
| Binomial name | |
| Uranomys ruddi Dollman, 1909 | |
Rudd's mouse or the white-bellied brush-furred rat, Uranomys ruddi, is the only member of the genus Uranomys. This animal is closely related to the spiny mice, brush-furred mice, and the link rat.
Description
Head and body range from 8.4-13.4 cm. Tail length is 5.3-7.9 cm. Weight is 41-53 g. The hairs on the back of this species are stiff like the brush-furred mice, but not spiny as in Acomys. The belly is white and feet are covered in white hairs. Incisors project anteriorly.
Natural history
The animal is known across a wide range in Africa, but is never common. They are usually taken in savannah habitat. Rudd's Mouse is thought to be nocturnal. It feeds predominantly on insects.
References
- Lavrenchenko & Granjon (2004). Uranomys ruddi. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
- Nowak, R. M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, Vol. 2. Johns Hopkins University Press, London.