Kaszab Zoltán (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 74. (Budapest 1982)

Demeter, A. ; Topál, G.: Ethiopian mammals in the Hungarian Natural History Museum

Arvicanthis dembeensis (RÜPPELL, 1842) Specimens: Koka (10 çf + 14 $, S +S), Sodere* (8 çf + 9 $, s +S; 2 juv. 9, A +S), Langano (3 $, S +S), Gerira Um, Oruk* (2 c* + 3 9 , S +S; 1 9 A +S). - Measurements: HB 115.9 (80.2-160.1), T 108.2 (70.9-154.2), HF 26.9 (21.5-32.9), E 17.1 (11.1-20.2), W 86.5 (18-160), GELS 34.9 (19.65-38.7), UMRC 6.6 (5.1-7.8), ZYGB 15.75 (11.4-19.25), DIAS 7.9 (5.59.3). Notes : This species is a common rat in the Ethiopian Rift Valley. Specimens were taken from large colonies at Koka and Sodere, where extensive networks of runways covered the dense thickets of Acacia inhabited by these rats. At Sodere, a number of specimens were also trapped in riparian forest along the Awash river. In contrast with these localities, A. dembeensis were few at Langano, where mainly Mastomys and Tatera were captured. A. dembeensis has been reported to occur in the Awash National Park (CORBET & YALDEN, 1972), but none were captured in the riparian forest of the Awash near Metahara. The presence of large skulls in owl pellets has, however, confirmed the previous records (DEMETER 1982). Arvicanthis blicki (FRICK,1914) Specimens: 11 km west of Dinshu (1 çf + 3 9>S+S;1 9» -S). - Measurements : HB 127.2 (92.8-145.7.), T 88.9 (69.2-97.3), HF 28.6 (22.5-30.6), E 18.4 (13.1-21.7), W 98 (30 -153). Notes : The specimens were taken from a large colony of these rats in low alpine grassland on the plateau west of Dinshu. One female was pregnant in November with 2 +5 large embryos, and one was a juvenile at the same time. Arvicanthis somalicus THOMAS, 1903 Specimens: Metahara (9 çf + 5 9, S+S; 1 o*, .S). - Measurements: HB 97.8 (83.9-123.0), T 93.0 (72.4-112.3), HF 23.8 (22.2-25.2), E 13.4 (10.9-15.7), W 36.5 (26-74), GELS 27.55 (25.45-31.25), UMRC 5.75 (5.6-6.15), ZYGB 14.1 (13.15-16.0), DIAS 6.55 (6.0-7.8). Notes : The first record of A. somalicus from Ethiopia was from the Awash National Park (CORBET & YALDEN, 1972). Further evidence for the occurrence of A. somalicus sympatrically with the larger dembeensis has been published elsewhere (DEMETER 1982). The A. somalicus trapped near Metahara lived in sparse Acacia scrub with little herbaceous cover and shared runways with Acomys and Tatera. Physiognomically, the vegetation there was much less structured and more sparse than at the other localities, more like the habitat ot'A. somalicus at the type locality in Somalia (SCHLITTER, pers. comm.). As shown by the measurements, there is a great deal of overlap in size between dembeensis and somalicus, mainly due to the very young specimens of the larger species: a discriminant function, based on cranial measurements, for identifying specimens is given in DEMETER (1982). Pelomys harringtoni THOMAS, 1903 Specimens : Kutaber (1 9, S+S). Akaki river, Addis Ababa (1 çf, S+S). - Measurements : (c^-9) HB 124.7-145.7, T 93.3-118.4, HF 26.5-28.5, E 19.2-19.4, W 84-120. Notes : The female from Kutaber contained 3 +3 embryos (8 Oct.). The other specimen was taken in a trap set below a bush which was somewhat isolated in a tall-grass field. This species is known to be of semi-arboreal habits (YALDEN & al., 1976). Lophuromys flavopunctatus THOMAS, 1888 Specimens: Kutaber (3 çf +1 9, S +S). Dinshu (1 çf, S +S), 11 km west of Dinshu (2 çf, .S; 4 9, S+S). - Measurements: HB 115.8 (96.1-131.0), T 59.2 (44.0-97.4), HF 21.2 (20.3-23.0), E 15.5 (11.2-18.2), W 52 (34-70). Notes : This species is common on the Ethiopian plateaux (YALDEN & al., 1976; RUPP, 1980), to where it is apparently confined not because of altitude but becaues of increased rainfall. Around Dinshu it is sympatric with L. melanoxys. At Dinshu itself, the single specimen was taken under an Erica arborea bush, but west of Dinshu, L. flavopunctatus were trapped in and at the edge of thighhigh scrubby ground-cover of Alchemilla, whereas L. melanoxys were trapped in low alpine grassland right next to this field of Alchemilla. Four of the 7 specimens at Dinshu were taken during daytime.