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

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

Lophuromys melanoxys PETTER, 1972 Specimens: 11 km west of Dinshu (3 çf +3 Ç, S +S ; 1 sex?, .S). - Measurements: HB 135.5 (126.4-149.7), T 56.3 (49.2 -64.6), HF 23.7 (22.5-24.6), E 21.4 (19.9-22.8), W 80.6 (67-104). Notes : Specimens were captured in short grassland, where they occurred in close spatial association with Otomys, Arvicanthis and Stenocephalemys. Five of the 7 specimens were taken during daytime. Megadendromus nikolausi DIETERLEN & RUPP, 1978 Specimen: Dinshu* (1 çf, S +S, 1 Nov., 1980). - Measurements: HB 97.6, T 86.4, HF 24.7, E 21.7, W 40, GELS 29.4, ZYGB 14.8, LINB 3.4, NASL 11.6, BBC 12.8, UMRC 5.8, M

l-L 3.2, M!-B 1.8, M

2-L 1.6, LMRC 5.2. Notes : This remarkable rodent has been recently described from the Balé Mountains (DIETERLEN & RUPP, 1978), but this is the only second complete specimen available at present. Its external body measurements are smaller than those given for the three specimens recorded by DIETERLEN & RUPP, but most of the characters of the dentition fall in the range of values obtained for the series of the type specimen and fragmented skulls from owl pellets. The specimen had abdominal testes and was perhaps a subadult. The dentition showed tooth wear pattern as in Dendromus, with M

3 and M-, showing medium wear and M

1 being little abrated. The specimen was trapped beneath a bush of Erica arborea in a generally open Hagenia woodland near Dinshu, on a runway shared by Otomys, Stenocephalemys griseicauda and Lophuromys flavopunctatus, a similar habitat to that of the type locality described in DIETERLEN & RUPP (1978). Dinshu has been relatively intensively collected over the past two decades, so it is surprising that previous collectors did not find any. The lack of previous records may be a reflection of genuine scarcity, or perhaps of simply strict arboreal habits. Otomys typus HEUGLIN, 1877 Specimens : "Baboon Gorge", near Mt. Termaber* (1 $, S +S), Dinshu (1 çf +1 $, S +S), 11 km west of Dinshu (5 cf + 6 $, S +S). - Measurements: HB 144.8 (72.8-165.0), T 75.9 (43.8-95.6), HF 24.9 (21.8-28.7), E 23.5 (15.1-27.4), W 107.5 (22-170). Notes: At the "Baboon Gorge", Otomys was captured by hand on the bare, rocky grassland where the colony of Arvicanthis abyssinicus was found. Around Dinshu, specimens were taken in a variety of habitats including patches of Erica arborea shrub, Alchemilla bushes and low alpine grassland. One female contained 2 embryos in November, while 3 others were lactating. One very young suckling was captured next to its mother, who had been killed in a trap. Tachyoryctes splendens (RÜPPELL, 1836) Specimen : Addis Ababa (1 $ , S +S). — Measurements : no external measurements were taken by the collector, M. GAJDÁCS. CIL 40.5, ZYGB 28.3, LINB 6.8, UMRC 7.5, DIAS 14.1, NASL 15.3. Notes : Many subspecies of T. splendens are recognized (RAHM, 1980), but the status of many of these forms in Ethiopia remains uncertain. Tachyoryctes macrocephalus (RÜPPELL, 1842) Specimen : Dinshu (1 incomplete .S). — Measurements: CIL 57.2, LINB 6.4. UMRC 13.2, DIAS 25.6, ZYGB 44.05, NASL 29.2. Notes : The measurements of the skull fall in the range of values given by YALDEN (1975). Large earth excavations, perhaps made by this species, were found everywhere in the plateau around Dinshu. Pectinator spekei BLYTH, 1856 Specimens : Gibdo* (1 çf, A+S; I $, A). - Measurements: female, HB 151.4, T 46.4, HF 31.5, E 7.6; male, no external measurements were taken by the collector, K. KITTENBERGER; GELS 45.45, UMRC 8.8, DIAS 9.7, LINB 12.2, ZYGB 26.2, LAB 14.8. Notes : This species is confined to arid areas in north -eastern Africa. Gibdo is a very dry rocky locality (KITTENBERGER, 1958), which is a typical habitat for this species.