Lophuromys ansorgei de Winton 1896

24.

Ansorge’s Brush-furred Rat

Lophuromys ansorgei

French: Rat-hérissé d’Ansorge / German: Ansorge-Blrstenhaarmaus / Spanish: Rata de pelaje de cepillo de Ansorge

Taxonomy. Lophuromys ansorgei de Winton, 1896,

“Mumia’s, Kavirondo, N.E. of Lake Victoria,” Kenya.

Lophuromys ansorgei belongs in the sikapusi species complex and was resurrected by W. N. Verheyen and colleagues in 2000 based on morphology. Monotypic.

Distribution. S Cameroon, S ofSanaga River, E through Congo Basin to Uganda and W Kenya.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 100-165 mm, tail 49-91 mm, ear 10-20 mm, hindfoot 20-26 mm; weight 45-111 g. Dorsum is reddish brown, and venteris slightly brighter.

Habitat. Lowlands of the Congolese forest block.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Ansorge’s Brush-furred Rat was considered a synonym of the Western Brush-furred Rat (L. sikapusi), which was classified as Least Concern.

Bibliography. Delany (1975), Monadjem etal. (2015), Verheyen et al. (2000).