Thamnomys major Hatt 1934

489.

Hatt’s Thicket Rat

Thamnomys major

French: Thamnomys de Hatt / German: GroRe Dickichtratte / Spanish: Rata de acacias de Hatt

Other common names: Hatt's Thamnomys

Taxonomy. Thamnomys kempi major Hatt, 1934,

Lukumi, north slope Mt. Karisimbi, Kivu volcanoes, 12,000 ft (= 3600 m), Nord-Kivu Province, E DR Congo.

Thamnomys major, although sometimes included in 7. kempi, 1s apparently distinguishable from latter by its much larger size and the more saturated color of its belly y. Monotypic op.

Distribution. Known only from type locality in extreme E DR Congo.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 156 mm, tail 201 mm, hindfoot 31 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Large arboreal rodent with bright orange-rufous fur and long tail. Hatt’s Thicket Rat is very like 7. kempi, from which it differs only in its larger size and its belly color, which is saturated buffy suffused with gray(whitish gray and sometimes with buff tinge in 7. kempr).

Habitat. Holotype was collected in Hagenia (Rosaceae) forest at high altitude (3600 m) on Mount Karisimbi, in Albertine Rift.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Hatt’s Thicket Rat is presumably nocturnal and crepuscular. It is scansorial (adapted for climbing).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Hatt (1934), Monadjem et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005).