Walter Verheyen's mouse

Walter Verheyen's mouse
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Hylomyscus
Species: H. walterverheyeni
Binomial name
Hylomyscus walterverheyeni
(Nicolas, Wendelen, Barriere, Dudu & Colyn, 2008)


Walter Verheyen's mouse (Hylomyscus walterverheyeni) is a species of rodent of the genus Hylomyscus that is found in the Central African lowland and mountain forests.[1]

Description

The species was first described in 2008 and was named after Walter Verheyen, who was the first to study the Hylomyscus genus.[2]

H. walterverheyeni has soft, fine fur which is reddish brown on its back and whitish gray on its underside. Juveniles are blackish gray. The mean head-body length is 86 mm and the mean tail length is 129 mm. It weighs between 11 and 29 g (mean 18 g).[2]

The species morphology is very similar to related species Hylomyscus stella. It can be distinguished by DNA analysis, and cranial and dental morphometrics.[1]

Distribution

The species is found in forests up to 2000 m is the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, and south-east and western Cameroon.[1]

Diet

Their diet consists of insects, fruits, and seeds. The availability of food depends on the location and time of year.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Missoup, A.D.; Nicolas, V.; Wendelen, W.; Bilong, C.F.B.; Cruaud, C.; Denys, C (2009). "First record of Hylomyscus walterverheyeni (Rodentia: Muridae) on the north-western side of the Sanaga River (western Cameroon)" (PDF). Zootaxa 2044: 46–60. ISSN 1175-5326.
  2. 1 2 3 Nicolas V., Wendelen, W., Barriere, P., Dudu, A. & Colyn, M. (2008). "Morphometric variation in Allen's wood mouse and H. stella (Rodentia: Muridae), and description of a new species". Journal of Mammalogy 89 (1): 222–231. doi:10.1644/06-mamm-a-286.1.
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