Thomas's Ethiopian brush-furred rat (Lophuromys brunneus), also called the brown brush-furred rat[4] or the brown brush-furred mouse,[5] is a species of brush-furred mouse[6] from Southern Ethiopia.[2]
| Thomas's Ethiopian brush-furred rat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Lophuromys |
| Species: | L. brunneus |
| Binomial name | |
| Lophuromys brunneus | |
| Synonyms[2][3] | |
| |
Description
The holotype had a body 125 millimetres (4.9 in) long and a tail 80 millimetres (3.1 in) long. The body is a pale brown with a pale brown or clay-colored belly.[3]
Range and habitat
L. brunneus is endemic to the highlands of Southern Ethiopia, from the Semien Mountains to Manno-Jimma.[2] The type locality is around the Omo River.[3]
History
It was originally described as a subspecies of Lophuromys aquilus (L. aquilus brunneus) in 1906 by Oldfield Thomas, from a specimen collected 13 May 1905.[2][3] It was reclassified as a subspecies of Lophuromys flavopunctatus in 1936 as a synonym to subspecies L. flavopunctatus zaphiri. In 2002, it was elevated to species status.[2]
Phylogeny
The species is closely related to the Ethiopian forest brush-furred rat (Lophuromys chrysopus).[2] It is believed to have interbred with L. flavopunctatus.[7]
References
External links
Data related to Lophuromys brunneus at Wikispecies
