Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 74. (Budapest 1982)
Demeter, A. ; Topál, G.: Ethiopian mammals in the Hungarian Natural History Museum
Xerus rutilas (CRETZSCHMAR, 1828) Specimens : Assab* (1 çf +1 Ç , S +S), Dire Dawa (1 9. s +S).- Measurements No external measurements were given by the collectors, K. KITTENBERGER, and Ö. KOVÁCS. Females: GELS 50.3-53.0, UTRC 9.9-10.35, LINB 14.55-16.5, ZYGB 28.35-31.5, LAB 12.95-14.05 Notes : This is a species of arid localities in Ethiopia. Graphiurus murinus (DESMAREST, 1822) Specimen: Gara Mullatta (1 sex?, S +S).-M e a s u r e m e n t s : GELS 23.4, LINB 4.3, UMRC 3.1, LAB 7.4, BAB 5.75. Notes : No external measurements were given by the collector, Ö. KOVÁCS. This is an apparently subadult specimen, for it is rather small for the species. Its GELS is well within the range of values given for G. parvus, which GENEST-VILLARD (1979) recognized as a distinct species distributed as far north as southern Ethiopia. The LINB of the Gara Mulatta specimen is, however, too large for G. parvus. Tatera robusta (CRETZSCHMAR, 1830) Specimens: Metahara (3 çf +3 9 , S +S), Koka (3 çf +11 9 , S +S), Langano (4 çf +1 9 , S+S), Sodere* (2 çf +1 9, S+S).-M e a s u r e m e n t s : HB 134.2 (100.6-157.9), T 159.5 (130.5-192.0), HF 32.9 (31.1-36.1), E 20.8 (17.3-23.4), W 92 (45-142). Notes : This species is common in dry Acacia scrub and woodland in the Great Rift Valley, building extensive warrens and sharing common runways with the mainly diurnal Arvicanthis spp.. At Koka, females greatly outnumbered males, which may have been related to differences in trappability, since two one-night trapping sessions were conducted two weeks apart. At Langano, Tatera also occurred among large boulders on rock ledges with thin scrubby vegetation. Five out of the 28 specimens were in moult: save for one female from Langano which weighed 118 g, all were subadults less than 110 mm in head and body length and less than 60 g in weight. Large moult patches extended over both left and right flanks, in one specimen also including irregular patches along the median line. Only adults were taken at Langano in October. Mus muscuius LINNAEUS, 1758 Specimens : Akaki river, Addis Ababa (1 çf, S +S), Assab (2 çf, A), Gibdo* (1 çf, S +S), Dire Dawa (l çf +1 9 , S +S).- Measurements: HB 70.3 (68.5-72.2), T 74.8 (74.5-75.1),. HF 16.8 (16.1-17.5), E 12.2 (11.9-12.5), W 13 (-). Notes : These specimens with T equal to or greater than HB have been assigned to this widespread commensal species. Contrary to the opinion of YALDEN & al. (1976), the notched upper incisors are of little diagnostic value but other characters, such as the placement of the masseteric knob, the shape of the anterior edge of the zygomatic plate, the angle of emergence of the anterior root of M 1 from the bone, as given in ROSEVEAR (1969), all proved to be useful for separating Mus from Mus (Leggada). The pelage is variable dorsally, ranging from dark greyish brown at Addis Ababa to much lighter brown at other localities, even if we allow for fading in the skins prepared from alcoholic specimens. Ventrally the colour ranges from pure white in the Assab region to much darker grey washed with white in the highland specimens, and suffused with brown in the Dire Dawa specimens. The specimen from Addis Ababa has a very thin ginger dividing line on the flanks. This specimen was trapped in gallery forest about 50 m from houses in the same trap-line as M. mahomet. Mus (Leggada) mahomet RHOADS, 1896 Specimens : Akaki river, Addis Ababa (4 +1 9 » s + s *cf »• s )î Meta Ambo (1 9 , S+S).- Measurements: HB 65.9 (57.8-72.9), T 47.6 (35.4-56.8), HF 13.1 (10.6-15.0), E 11.2 (10.0-14.9), W 11.3 (10.5-15.0). Notes: At Addis Ababa, the specimens were trapped in gallery forest, hedges in cultivated fields and in tall grass in thin Eucalyptus woodland, all in the vicinity of houses. One specimen was taken among rock boulders in tall grass, another one during day time. The specimen from Meta Ambo was found dead in a rock-pool.
