Forest Giant Pouched Rat

discussion

REMARKS Olayemi et al. (2012) showed that the western clade of C. emini s. l. is clearly distinct from the eastern clade, hence we refer to specimens from Mount Nimba as Cricetomys cf. emini. A few specimens attributed to this species have been collected mostly in the forests at lower altitudes (Heim de Balsac & Lamotte 1958; Gautun et al. 1986). We did not collect any new specimens but two individuals were observed in TMF during Mission 2, of the western Nimba survey in Liberia. The skins of the two specimens of C. cf. emini (MNHN-ZM-MO- 1987 - 139 and 1991 - 2261) display a harsh pale-yellow pelage and are poorly preserved with no standard external measurements preserved. In fact, C. cf. emini is distinguished from C. gambanius on the basis of its short pelage and well contrasted dorso-ventral pelage. According to Genest-Villard (1967), both species can be discriminated by using a skull ratio. Here our Nimba specimens harbour a bizygomatic / GTL ratio lower than 45.5 that corresponds to C. cf. emini s. l. (Table 9). The skull is large and narrow, with fronto parietal crests well visible. The incisor foramina are short as well as the tympanic bullae. There are no clear molar morph

Annotated checklist of rodents from a biodiversity hotspot, Mount Nimba (West Africa)

discussion

Discussion: As noted by Genest-Villard (1967), pelage color and cranial morphology are fairly conservative across the range of C. emini proper. Genest-Villard declared that Rochebrune’s dissimilis is a nomen dubium in defending Wroughton’s emini as the oldest available name for populations in the Guinea and Congo forest blocks. In his description of C. ansorgei, however, Thomas’ (1904 c: 413) remarks intimate that he may have seen type or topotypic specimens: " The two forms of the group [dissimilis and tephrus], no doubt synonymous with each other, from Landana described by Rochebrune are both far smaller and have their bellies ‘ albocinereis. ’ " G. M. Allen (1939) followed Thomas in treating tephrus as full synonym of dissimilis, the latter as a subspecies of C. gambianus (as erroneously repeated by Musser and Carleton, 1993); Genest-Villard and Crawford-Cabral (1998) did not mention tephrus. Further museum sleuthing may disclose whether type material exists and settle the nomenclatural status of Rochebrune’s taxa with regard to both emini and ansorgei.

Order Rodentia - Family Nesomyidae

distribution

Distribution: Lowland, closed-canopied forest — in West Africa, from W Gambia (Grubb et al., 1998), S Guinea (Barnett et al., 1996), and Sierra Leone to S Nigeria; in Central Africa, from S Cameroon to SW Uganda, through Gabon, Republic of Congo, and much of Dem. Rep. Congo, to Cabinda, Angola (Crawford-Cabral, 1998).

Order Rodentia - Family Nesomyidae

distribution

DISTRIBUTION: Lowland rain forest: in West Africa, from Sierra Leone to S Nigeria; in Central Africa, from Cameroon and Gabon, through Congo and N Zaire, to S Uganda; including Bioko (= Fernando Poo).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae