Link rat
Species of rodent
| Link rat | |
|---|---|
Conservation status | |
 Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Deomys Thomas, 1888 |
| Species: | D. ferrugineus |
| Binomial name | |
| Deomys ferrugineus Thomas, 1888 | |
The link rat (Deomys ferrugineus) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is also known by the common name Congo forest mouse.[1] It is native to central Africa.[1]
It is 12–14.5 cm long with a 15–21 cm long tail. It weighs 40–70 g. It has long legs and a pointed, narrow head, surmounted by enormous ears. It has a very long, bicoloured tail. The back and forehead are rich orange and brown and the underside is white. The rump hairs are stiff.
The link rat is nocturnal and crepuscular. It prefers seasonally flooded forest floors between Cameroon and the Victoria Nile. It has a widespread but scattered distribution and is seldom common. It feeds mainly on insects, crustaceans, slugs and some fallen fruits, notably palm-nut husks.
The link rat has traditionally been placed as a member of the subfamily Dendromurinae along with the African climbing mice, but has been demonstrated to be more closely related to the spiny mice on the basis of molecular data. A new subfamily (Deomyinae) was created which contains this species plus the spiny mice (Acomys), the brush furred mice (Lophuromys), and Rudd's mouse (Uranomys). This group is supported by several recent phylogenetic studies.[2]
References
- ^ a b Schlitter, D. & Kerbis Peterhans, J. 2008. Deomys ferrugineus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. Downloaded on 10 April 2015.
- ^ Lecompte, E., et al. (2008). Phylogeny and biogeography of African Murinae based on mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences, with a new tribal classification of the subfamily. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8(1), 199.
Further reading
- 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.
- Nowak, Ronald M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1936 pp. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
‹ The template below (Deomyinae) is being considered for deletion. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus. ›
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Extant species of subfamily Deomyinae
(Spiny mice)
- Western Saharan spiny mouse (A. airensis)
- Cairo spiny mouse (A. cahirinus)
- Chudeau's spiny mouse (A. chudeaui)
- Asia Minor spiny mouse (A. cilicicus)
- Gray spiny mouse (A. cineraceus)
- Eastern spiny mouse (A. dimidiatus)
- Fiery spiny mouse (A. ignitus)
- Johan's spiny mouse (A. johannis)
- Kemp's spiny mouse (A. kempi)
- Louise's spiny mouse (A. louisae)
- Crete spiny mouse (A. minous)
- Mullah spiny mouse (A. mullah)
- Muze spiny mouse (A. muzei)
- Cyprus spiny mouse (A. nesiotes)
- Nguru spiny mouse (A. ngurui)
- Percival's spiny mouse (A. percivali)
- Golden spiny mouse (A. russatus)
- Selous's Spiny Mouse (A. selousi)
- Seurat's spiny mouse (A. seurati)
- Southern African spiny mouse (A. spinosissimus)
- Cape spiny mouse (A. subspinosus)
- Wilson's spiny mouse (A. wilsoni)
- Link rat (D. ferrugineus)
(Brush-furred mice)
- Subgenus Kivumys
- Yellow-bellied brush-furred rat (L. luteogaster)
- Medium-tailed brush-furred rat (L. medicaudatus)
- Woosnam's brush-furred rat (L. woosnami)
- Subgenus Lophuromys
- Angolan brush-furred rat (L. angolensis)
- Ansorge's brush-furred rat (L. ansorgei)
- Gray brush-furred rat (L. aquilus)
- Short-tailed brush-furred rat (L. brevicaudus)
- Thomas's Ethiopian brush-furred rat (L. brunneus)
- Mount Chercher brush-furred rat (L. chercherensis)
- Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat (L. chrysopus)
- Dieterlen's brush-furred mouse (L. dieterleni)
- Dudu's brush-furred rat (L. dudui)
- Eisentraut's brush-furred rat (L. eisentrauti)
- Yellow-spotted brush-furred rat (L. flavopunctatus)
- Hutterer's brush-furred mouse (L. huttereri)
- Kilonzo's brush furred rat (L. kilonzoi)
- L. laticeps
- L. machangui
- Makundi's brush-furred rat (L. makundii)
- L. margarettae
- Black-clawed brush-furred rat (L. melanonyx)
- North Western Rift brush-furred rat (L. menageshae)
- Fire-bellied brush-furred rat (L. nudicaudus)
- Sheko Forest brush-furred rat (L. pseudosikapusi)
- Rahm's brush-furred rat (L. rahmi)
- L. rita
- Mount Cameroon brush-furred rat (L. roseveari)
- Sabuni's brush-furred rat (L. sabunii)
- Rusty-bellied brush-furred rat (L. sikapusi)
- L. simensis
- Stanley's brush-furred rat (L. stanleyi)
- Verhagen's brush-furred rat (L. verhageni)
- Zena's brush-furred rat (L. zena)
- Rudd's mouse (U. ruddi)
