Northwestern fat mouse

Species of rodent

Northwestern fat mouse
Conservation status

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Nesomyidae
Genus: Steatomys
Species:
S. caurinus
Binomial name
Steatomys caurinus
Thomas, 1912

The northwestern fat mouse (Steatomys caurinus) is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is native to tropical West Africa where it occurs on grassland and crop land.

Taxonomy

The northwestern fat mouse was first described as Steatomys caurinus by the British zoologist Oldfield Thomas in 1912. Coatzee considered it, in 1977, to be a subspecies of the fat mouse (Steatomys pratensis), but Swanepoel and Schlitter elevated it to full species rank in 1978.[2]

Description

The northwestern fat mouse has a head-and-body length of between 96 and 122 mm (3.8 and 4.8 in) and a tail length of between 35 and 50 mm (1.4 and 2.0 in). It weighs between 36 and 60 g (1.27 and 2.12 oz). It is a dark reddish-brown colour and always has ten or more nipples. It is one of three species of fat mouse occurring in West Africa. It can be distinguished from the dainty fat mouse (Steatomys caurinus) by being larger and darker, by having a shorter tail and by having more nipples. The third species, Jackson's fat mouse (Steatomys jacksoni), does not share the same range, being found only in southern Ghana and southern Nigeria.[2]

Distribution and habitat

It is found in Benin, southern Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, northern Ghana, southwestern Mali, Niger, northern Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo, where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and agricultural land.[1]

Status

The northwestern fat mouse is a somewhat uncommon species showing considerable population swings. It has a wide range and a presumed large total population, and is present in several protected areas, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as "least concern".[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Schlitter, D.; Coetzee, N. (2017). "Steatomys caurinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T20718A22233646. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T20718A22233646.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b Ara Monadjem; Peter J. Taylor; Christiane Denys; Fenton P.D. Cotterill (2015). Rodents of Sub-Saharan Africa: A biogeographic and taxonomic synthesis. De Gruyter. pp. 377–379. ISBN 978-3-11-030191-5.
  • Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
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Extant species of family Nesomyidae
Petromyscinae
Petromyscus
(Rock mice)
  • Barbour's rock mouse (Petromyscus barbouri)
  • Pygmy rock mouse (Petromyscus collinus)
  • Brukkaros pygmy rock mouse (Petromyscus monticularis)
  • Shortridge's rock mouse (Petromyscus shortridgei)
Delanymyinae
Delanymys
  • Delany's mouse (Delanymys brooksi)
Dendromurinae
Dendromus
(African
climbing mice)
  • Montane African climbing mouse (Dendromus insignis)
  • Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse (Dendromus kahuziensis)
  • Lachaise's climbing mouse (Dendromus lachaisei)
  • Monard's African climbing mouse (Dendromus leucostomus)
  • Lovat's climbing mouse (Dendromus lovati)
  • Gray climbing mouse (Dendromus melanotis)
  • Brant's climbing mouse (Dendromus mesomelas)
  • Banana climbing mouse (Dendromus messorius)
  • Chestnut climbing mouse (Dendromus mystacalis)
  • Kivu climbing mouse (Dendromus nyasae)
  • Nyika climbing mouse (Dendromus nyikae)
  • Cameroon climbing mouse (Dendromus oreas)
  • Rupp's African climbing mouse (Dendromus ruppi)
  • Vernay's climbing mouse (Dendromus vernayi)
Dendroprionomys
  • Velvet climbing mouse (Dendroprionomys rousseloti)
Malacothrix
  • Gerbil mouse (Malacothrix typica)
Megadendromus
  • Nikolaus's mouse (Megadendromus nikolausi)
Prionomys
  • Dollman's tree mouse (Prionomys batesi)
Steatomys
  • Bocage's African fat mouse (Steatomys bocagei)
  • Northwestern fat mouse (Steatomys caurinus)
  • Dainty fat mouse (Steatomys cuppedius)
  • Jackson's fat mouse (Steatomys jacksoni)
  • Krebs's fat mouse (Steatomys krebsii)
  • Pousargues's African fat mouse (Steatomys opimus)
  • Tiny fat mouse (Steatomys parvus)
  • Fat mouse (Steatomys pratensis)
Mystromyinae
Mystromys
  • White-tailed rat (Mystromys albicaudatus)
Cricetomyinae
(Pouched rats)
Beamys
  • Lesser hamster-rat (Beamys hindei)
  • Greater hamster-rat (Beamys major)
Cricetomys
  • Southern giant pouched rat (Cricetomys ansorgei)
  • Emin's pouched rat (Cricetomys emini)
  • Gambian pouched rat (Cricetomys gambianus)
  • Kivu giant pouched rat (Cricetomys kivuensis)
Saccostomus
  • South African pouched mouse (Saccostomus campestris)
  • Mearns's pouched mouse (Saccostomus mearnsi)
Nesomyinae
(Malagasy rats
and mice)
Brachytarsomys
Brachyuromys
  • Betsileo short-tailed rat (Brachyuromys betsileoensis)
  • Gregarious short-tailed rat (Brachyuromys ramirohitra)
Eliurus
  • Tsingy tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus antsingy)
  • Ankarana Special Reserve tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus carletoni)
  • Daniel's tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus danieli)
  • Ellerman's tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus ellermani)
  • Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus grandidieri)
  • Major's tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus majori)
  • Lesser tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus minor)
  • Dormouse tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus myoxinus)
  • White-tipped tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus penicillatus)
  • Petter's tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus petteri)
  • Tanala tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus tanala)
  • Webb's tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus webbi)
Gymnuromys
  • Voalavoanala (Gymnuromys roberti)
Hypogeomys
Macrotarsomys
  • Bastard big-footed mouse (Macrotarsomys bastardi)
  • Greater big-footed mouse (Macrotarsomys ingens)
  • Petter's big-footed mouse (Macrotarsomys petteri)
Monticolomys
  • Koopman's montane voalavo (Monticolomys koopmani)
Nesomys
  • White-bellied nesomys (Nesomys audeberti)
  • Western nesomys (Nesomys lambertoni)
  • Nesomys narindaensis
  • Island mouse (Nesomys rufus)
Voalavo
  • Eastern voalavo (Voalavo antsahabensis)
  • Northern voalavo (Voalavo gymnocaudus)
Category
Taxon identifiers
Steatomys caurinus