African Climbing Mice
Dendromus A. Smith, 1829
Mice in the genus Dendromus are commonly referred to as African climbing mice or tree mice, although these terms are often used to describe all members of the subfamily Dendromurinae. The genus is currently restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, but fossils classified in the genus have been found from Late Miocene deposits in Arabia and Europe.
- Also published as
- Chortomys Thomas, 1916; Dendromys J. B. Fischer, 1830; Dendromys Smuts, 1832; Poemys Thomas, 1916
12 species · 12 branches
- Dendromus insignisspecies
- Dendromus kahuziensisspecies
- Dendromus leucostomusspecies
- Dendromus lovatispecies
- Dendromus melanotisspecies
- Dendromus mesomelasspecies
- Dendromus messoriusspecies
- Dendromus mystacalisspecies
- Dendromus nyasaespecies
- Dendromus nyikaespecies
- Dendromus oreasspecies
- Dendromus vernayispecies
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Description
Mice in the genus Dendromus are small (Head and body: 5–10 cm) with relatively long tails (6–13 cm). This tail is semi-prehensile and provides an aid in climbing. The dense fur is grey or brown and either one or two stripes are present on the back. Unlike most other muroids, these mice have only three fingers on each hand. They are also distinguished by their grooved incisors.
In human culture
Habitat varies widely. Elevation ranges from sea-level to 4,300 m (14,100 ft). Anecdotal evidence suggests they are arboreal, but data supporting this hypothesis are limited. They do appear to be good climbers and the degree to which they spend time in trees seems to vary by species.
Where it has been recorded
Recorded sightings
—
geo-referenced records in GBIF, from museums, herbaria and field observers.
Drag the globe to turn it. Dots are where records exist, not a range map; darker means more records.
In the stacks
Searching the stacks…
Every page naming Dendromus in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
References
- Rosevear, D. R. (1969). The Rodents of West Africa.
- Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. (1993). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2nd Ed., 3rd Printing.
- Musser, Guy G., and Michael D. Carleton / Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. (2005). Superfamily Muroidea. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 3rd Ed., Vol. 2.
From the Catalogue of Life (catalogueoflife.org), compiled from its specialist databases; CC BY 4.0. This name in the Catalogue of Life.