Togo Mouse
Encyclopedia
The Togo Mouse, also known as Büttner's African Forest Mouse or the Groove-toothed Forest Mouse (Leimacomys buettneri), is a unique muroid rodent known from only two specimens taken from near the type locality of Bismarckburg, near Yege, Togo
in 1890. It is in the monotypic
genus
Leimacomys.
, Germany
.
The head and body length is 118 mm (4.6 in) with a tail of 37 mm (1.5 in). This tail is unusually short relative to the body length (ratio of 37%) and is considered an important diagnostic feature. The animal is dark to grey brown above and pale grey brown below. Ears are small and hairy. Feet are also somewhat hairy. The tail may be naked or slightly haired.
Incisor
s are shallowly grooved. The snout is long and wide, interorbital width broad, and zygomatic plate
large (Musser and Carleton, 2005).
Based upon skull morphology, the Togo Mouse is presumed to be insectivorous
(Dieterlen, 1976). Very little is known about the habits
of this unusual mouse.
and the Murinae
since its discovery. It most closely resembles Lophuromys which has been transferred to a newly erected Deomyinae
on the basis of molecular
data. The association with Lophuromys is thought to be due to convergent evolution
due to a similar diet (Dieterlen, 1976). Tooth characters resemble dendromurines, Mystromys or basal gerbil
s. Denys et al. (1995) generated a phylogeny that suggested with limited support that Leimacomys is a sister taxon to the Gerbillinae.
Musser and Carleton (2005) chose to erect a new subfamily, Leimacomyinae, to house this species. They placed it in the family Muridae
due to its potential connection to either the Gerbillinae or Deomyinae, but emphasized that a broad phylogenetic study including Leimacomys, and a host of nesomyids
and murids is needed to determine its appropriate position.
or extinct depending on the authority. Schlitter (1989) classified it as extinct, because subsequent surveys to the area failed to recover it. Grubb et al. (1998) noted that these surveys inadequately sampled appropriate habitat
in Togo and neighboring Ghana
, and they were reluctant to declare the species extinct. Musser and Carleton (2005) emphasized that insectivorous muroids as a group have proven difficult to capture, and that intense surveys of high elevation forest in this region are required to determine if it still persists.
The IUCN currently describes the Togo Mouse as "data deficient".
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
in 1890. It is in the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Leimacomys.
Description and natural history
The entirety of known material for this species consists of a single poor quality dry skin, a fluid preserved animal, and a cranium and mandible. The cranium and mandible are from different animals. The material is deposited in the Zoologisches Museum of Humboldt University in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The head and body length is 118 mm (4.6 in) with a tail of 37 mm (1.5 in). This tail is unusually short relative to the body length (ratio of 37%) and is considered an important diagnostic feature. The animal is dark to grey brown above and pale grey brown below. Ears are small and hairy. Feet are also somewhat hairy. The tail may be naked or slightly haired.
Incisor
Incisor
Incisors are the first kind of tooth in heterodont mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and mandible below.-Function:...
s are shallowly grooved. The snout is long and wide, interorbital width broad, and zygomatic plate
Zygomatic plate
In rodent anatomy, the zygomatic plate is a bony plate derived from the flattened front part of the zygomatic arch . At the back, it connects to the front root of the zygomatic arch, and at the top it is connected to the rest of the skull via the antorbital bridge. It is part of the maxillary...
large (Musser and Carleton, 2005).
Based upon skull morphology, the Togo Mouse is presumed to be insectivorous
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
(Dieterlen, 1976). Very little is known about the habits
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
of this unusual mouse.
Classification
Leimacomys has been transferred back and forth between the DendromurinaeDendromurinae
Dendromurinae is a subfamily of rodents in the family Nesomyidae and superfamily Muroidea. The dendromurines are currently restricted to Africa, as is the case for all extant members of the family Nesomyidae. The authorship of the subfamily has been contributed to both Alston, 1876, and to G. M...
and the Murinae
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
since its discovery. It most closely resembles Lophuromys which has been transferred to a newly erected Deomyinae
Deomyinae
The subfamily Deomyinae consists of four genera of mouse-like rodents that were placed in the subfamilies Murinae and Dendromurinae until very recently. They are sometimes called Acomyinae, particularly in references that predate the discovery that the link rat, Deomys ferugineus, is part of the...
on the basis of molecular
Molecular phylogeny
Molecular phylogenetics is the analysis of hereditary molecular differences, mainly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. The result of a molecular phylogenetic analysis is expressed in a phylogenetic tree...
data. The association with Lophuromys is thought to be due to convergent evolution
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
due to a similar diet (Dieterlen, 1976). Tooth characters resemble dendromurines, Mystromys or basal gerbil
Gerbil
A gerbil is a small mammal of the order Rodentia. Once known simply as "desert rats", the gerbil subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats...
s. Denys et al. (1995) generated a phylogeny that suggested with limited support that Leimacomys is a sister taxon to the Gerbillinae.
Musser and Carleton (2005) chose to erect a new subfamily, Leimacomyinae, to house this species. They placed it in the family Muridae
Muridae
Muridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives....
due to its potential connection to either the Gerbillinae or Deomyinae, but emphasized that a broad phylogenetic study including Leimacomys, and a host of nesomyids
Nesomyidae
Nesomyidae is a family of African rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which are native to either continental Africa or to Madagascar...
and murids is needed to determine its appropriate position.
Conservation status
The Togo Mouse is considered to be either critically endangeredCritically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
or extinct depending on the authority. Schlitter (1989) classified it as extinct, because subsequent surveys to the area failed to recover it. Grubb et al. (1998) noted that these surveys inadequately sampled appropriate habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
in Togo and neighboring Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, and they were reluctant to declare the species extinct. Musser and Carleton (2005) emphasized that insectivorous muroids as a group have proven difficult to capture, and that intense surveys of high elevation forest in this region are required to determine if it still persists.
The IUCN currently describes the Togo Mouse as "data deficient".