Naked-tailed Voalavo
Voalavo gymnocaudus Carleton & Goodman, 1998
Also calledNordlicher Voalavo (deu) · Voalavo a queue nue (fra) · woalawo nagoogonowe (pol) · Хомяк Карлтона (rus) · ハダカオヴォアラヴォ (jpn)
First described in: Fieldiana Zool., N.S. vol.85 p.182
The northern voalavo (Voalavo gymnocaudus), also known as the naked-tailed voalavo or simply the voalavo, is a rodent in the family Nesomyidae found in the Northern Highlands of Madagascar. Discovered in 1994 and formally described in 1998, it is the type species of the genus Voalavo; its closest relative is the eastern voalavo of the Central Highlands. DNA sequencing suggests that it may be more closely related to Grandidier's tufted-tailed rat than to other species of the closely related genus Eliurus. The northern voalavo is found at 1,250 to 1,950 m (4,100 to 6,400 ft) above sea level in montane wet and dry forests in the Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud massifs. Nocturnal and solitary, it lives mainly on the ground, but it can climb and probably eats plant matter. Despite having a small range, the species is classified as being of least concern because it lacks obvious threats and much of its range is within protected areas.
The northern voalavo is a small, mouse-like rodent with soft, grey fur that is only slightly darker above than below. The ears are short and rounded. The long tail appears mostly naked and lacks a distinct tuft, which is present in Eliurus. It differs from the eastern voalavo mainly in the values of some measurements. The skull is delicate, with a long, narrow rostrum (front part), narrow interorbital region (between the eyes), and no development of ridges on the braincase. The molars are relatively high-crowned (hypsodont). It has a body mass of 17 to 25.5 g (0.60 to 0.90 oz).
Descriptions from checklists and floras indexed by GBIF
distribution
Distribution: Upper montane and sclerophyllous forest of the Anjanaharibe-Sud and Marojejy massifs, 1250 - 1950 m, N Madagascar; may occur on other mountains in the Northern Highlands.
Order Rodentia - Family Nesomyidae
materials_examined
Type Locality: Madagascar, Antsiranana Prov., Reserve Speciale d’Anjanaharibe-Sud, 12.2 km WSW Befingitra, 1950 m; 14 º 44.8 ′ S, 49 º 26.0 ′ E.
Order Rodentia - Family Nesomyidae
activity
Activity patterns. The Northern Naked-tail Forest Mouse is nocturnal and scansorial. It probably lives in ground burrows and forages in an arboreal manner. It is capable of moving across very thin lianas, no larger than the width of a pencil.
Nesomyidae
biology_ecology
Habitat. Eastern humid montane forest at elevations of 1225 - 1950 m. The Northern Naked-tail Forest Mouse is only known from mountains surrounding the Andapa Basin.
Nesomyidae
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), quoted section by section
Range & habitat
The northern voalavo has been found only in two massifs of the Northern Highlands, Anjanaharibe-Sud and Marojejy, but may range more widely. At Anjanaharibe-Sud, the species has been found in wet mountain forest at 1,950 m (6,400 ft), where it occurred with the indigenous rodents Major's tufted-tailed rat and island mouse as well as the introduced black rat (Rattus rattus), and in drier forest at about 1,300 m (4,300 ft), where it may live alongside other species of Eliurus and Voalavoanala. The Marojejy records come from similar habitats at 1,250 to 1,875 m (4,101 to 6,152 ft) above sea level. The northern voalavo probably largely lives on the ground, but is able to climb in vegetation. It likes areas with dense networks of roots, among which it moves using runways and natural tunnels. The species is nocturnal (active during the night), is solitary, probably eats fruits and seeds, and bears up to three young per litter. A variety of parasitic arthropods have been recorded on northern voalavo: mites from the families Laelapidae and Trombiculidae (both Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud), the demodecid mite Demodex (Marojejy only), the atopomelid mite Listrophoroides (both Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud), and unidentified sucking lice (Anjanaharibe-Sud only). In 2007, a laelapid mite found on V. gymnocaudus in Anjanaharibe-Sud was described as a new species, Andreacarus voalavo. …
Where it has been recorded
Recorded sightings
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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 Voalavo gymnocaudus in the Biodiversity Heritage Library →
From the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence records (GBIF.org), with Wikipedia and the Source Library. GBIF species 4263430.