Lophuromys

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Cladus: Cynodontia
Cladus: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohors: Eutheria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Euarchontoglires
Ordo: Rodentiaa
Subordo: Myomorpha
Superfamilia: Muroidea

Familia: Muridae
Subfamilia: Deomyinae
Genus: Lophuromys
Subgenera (2): Kivumys - Lophuromys

Species overview (33): L. angolensis – L. ansorgei – L. aquilus – L. brevicaudus – L. brunneus – L. chercherensis – L. chrysopus – L. dieterleni – L. dudui – L. eisentrauti – L. flavopunctatus – L. huttereri – L. kilonzoi – L. laticeps – L. luteogaster – L. machangui – L. makundii – L. margarettae – L. medicaudatus – L. melanonyx – L. menageshae – L. nudicaudus – L. pseudosikapusi – L. rahmi – L. rita – L. roseveari – L. sabunii – L. sikapusi – L. simensis – L. stanleyi – L. verhageni – L. woosnami – L. zena
Name

Lophuromys Peters, 1874: 234

Type Species: Lasiomys afer Peters, 1866 (= Mus sikapusi Temminck, 1853)
Synonyms

Lasiomys Peters, 1866
Neanthomys Toschi, 1946

References

Lophuromys in Mammal Species of the World.
Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn M. (Editors) 2005. Mammal Species of the World – A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Third edition. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4.

The brush-furred mice, genus Lophuromys are a group of rodents found in sub-Saharan Africa. They are members of the subfamily Deomyinae, a group only identifiable through molecular analysis. Lophuromys is also known as the brush-furred rats, harsh-furred rats or coarse-haired mice.
Characteristics

The brush-furred mice are so named due to the unique, stiff hairs that make up their pelage. The texture is similar to a soft brush. They are peculiar looking for several reasons. The coat varies depending on species, but ranges from tan to greenish greys and dark brown. Some species have an almost purplish tint to the pelage and others can be speckled. The underside is rusty, orange, brown, or cream-colored. They are chunky mice with relatively short legs.

Most animals have noticeable scars, notched ears, or are missing part of their tails.[citation needed] The skin is delicate and the animals appear to use this as a predator avoidance technique. The tail breaks easily and may be lost so that the animal can escape. Once lost, it does not regenerate. The skin tears easily, particularly in strategic positions such as the scruff of the neck. In fact, if an animal is held by the scruff of the neck, it is capable of struggling its way free by tearing itself loose, leaving behind a patch of skin and fur. It is rare to find specimens in museums without sewn-up tears.
Habitat and diet

Brush-furred mice appear to require moist areas and perhaps grasses. They are generally excluded from dry savannahs and forests with dense canopies. They are variable in degree of diurnality versus nocturnality.

They appear to feed more on animal matter than most muroids. The proportion of animal material in the diet ranges from 40 to 100% depending on species.[2] Food consists of ants, other insects and invertebrates, small vertebrates, carrion, and plant matter.
Behaviour

Brush-furred mice are solitary and are reported to fight when placed together. This may contribute to the wounds found on individuals. A brush-furred mouse was recorded to have lived for over 3 years in captivity.

Allopatric speciation appears to have played an important role in shaping the evolution of this genus. Research conducted on the group suggests that isolated species exist a relatively short distance away from one another. Gene flow is either absent or greatly restricted among these isolated pockets. This has led to differences detectable by karyotype, allozymes, and DNA sequencing. The number of recognized species in this genus has increased in recent years and is probably still not representative of the true diversity of this group.
Species

21 species were accepted in this genus in 2005.[1] This number has grown to 34.[3]

Genus Lophuromys - brush-furred mice
Subgenus Kivumys
Yellow-bellied brush-furred rat, Lophuromys luteogaster
Medium-tailed brush-furred rat, Lophuromys medicaudatus
Woosnam's brush-furred rat, Lophuromys woosnami
Subgenus Lophuromys
Angolan brush-furred mouse, Lophuromys angolensis
Ansorge's brush-furred mouse, Lophuromys ansorgei
Gray brush-furred rat, Lophuromys aquilus
Short-tailed brush-furred rat, Lophuromys brevicaudus
Thomas's Ethiopian brush-furred rat, Lophuromys brunneus
Mount Chercher brush-furred rat, Lophuromys chercherensis[4]
Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat, Lophuromys chrysopus
Dieterlen's brush-furred mouse, Lophuromys dieterleni
Dudu's brush-furred rat, Lophuromys dudui
Eisentraut's brush-furred rat, Lophuromys eisentrauti
Yellow-spotted brush-furred rat, Lophuromys flavopunctatus
Hutterer's brush-furred mouse, Lophuromys huttereri
Kilonzo's brush furred rat, Lophuromys kilonzoi[5]
Machandu's brush furred rat, Lophuromys machangui[5]
Makundi's brush-furred rat, Lophuromys makundii[5]
Black-clawed brush-furred rat, Lophuromys melanonyx
North Western Rift brush-furred rat, Lophuromys menageshae[4]
Fire-bellied brush-furred rat, Lophuromys nudicaudus
Sheko Forest brush-furred rat, Lophuromys pseudosikapusi[4]
Rahm's brush-furred rat, Lophuromys rahmi
Mount Cameroon brush-furred rat, Lophuromys roseveari
Sabuni's brush-furred rat, Lophuromys sabunii[5]
Rusty-bellied brush-furred rat, Lophuromys sikapusi
Verhagen's brush-furred mouse, Lophuromys verhageni
Zena's brush-furred rat, Lophuromys zena
Unsorted
Lophuromys laticeps
Lophuromys margarettae
Lophuromys rita
Lophuromys simensis
Stanley's brush-furred rat, Lophuromys stanleyi[5]

References

Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Dieterlen, F. (1976). "Die afrikanische Muridengattung Lophuromys Peters, 1874". Stuttgarter Beitr. Naturkunde. A (285).
"Lophuromys". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists.
Lavrenchenko, L.A.; Verheyen, W.N.; Verheyen, E.; Hulselmans, J.; Leirs, H. (2007). "Morphometric and genetic study of Ethiopian Lophuromys flavopunctatus Thomas, 1888 species complex with description of three new 70-chromosomal species (Muridae, Rodentia)". Bulletin van het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen, Biologie. 77: 77–117. S2CID 90014299.

Verheyen, W.N.; Hulselmans, J.L.J.; Dierckx, T.; Mulungu, L.; Leirs, H.; Corti, M.; Verheyen, E. (2007). "The characterization of the Kilimanjaro Lophuromys aquilus True 1892 population and the description of five new Lophuromys species (Rodentia, Muridae)". Bulletin van Het Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen, Biologie. 77: 23–75.