Mice in the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

''Dendromus'' are commonly referred to as African climbing mice or tree mice, although these terms are often used to describe all members of the subfamily

Dendromurinae 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 ...

. The genus is currently restricted to

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

, but

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

s classified in the genus have been found from Late

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

deposits in

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Characteristics

Mice in the genus ''Dendromus'' are small (Head and body: 5–10 cm) with relatively long tails (6–13 cm). This tail is semi-

prehensile Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. The word is derived from the Latin term ''prehendere'', meaning "to grasp". The ability to grasp is likely derived from a number of different origin ...

and provides an aid in climbing. The dense fur is grey or brown and either one or two stripes are present on the back. Unlike most other

muroid The Muroidea are a large superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, lemmings, gerbils, and many other relatives. Although the Muroidea originated in Eurasia, they occupy a vast variety of habitats on every continent except ...

s, these mice have only three fingers on each hand. They are also distinguished by their grooved

incisor Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...

Natural history

Habitat varies widely.

Elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...

ranges from

sea-level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

to 4300 m. Anecdotal evidence suggests they are

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

, but data supporting this

hypothesis A hypothesis (: hypotheses) is a proposed explanation for a phenomenon. A scientific hypothesis must be based on observations and make a testable and reproducible prediction about reality, in a process beginning with an educated guess o ...

are limited. They do appear to be good climbers and the degree to which they spend time in trees seems to vary by species.

Species

Genus ''Dendromus'' - Climbing mice *

Montane African climbing mouse The montane African climbing mouse or remarkable climbing mouse (''Dendromus insignis'') is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Description The mon ...

, ''Dendromus insignis'' *

Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse The Mount Kahuzi climbing mouse (''Dendromus kahuziensis'') is a rodent found only in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to illegal logging Illegal logging is the harvest, transportation, ...

, ''Dendromus kahuziensis'' * Lachaise's climbing mouse, ''

Dendromus lachaisei Lachaise's climbing mouse (''Dendromus lachaisei'') is a species of climbing mouse described by Denys and Aniskine in 2012. First discovered on the slopes of Mount Nimba, it is now believed that the species is extant within Guinea, Liberia and ...

'' * Monard's African climbing mouse, ''Dendromus leucostomus'' *

Lovat's climbing mouse Lovat's climbing mouse (''Dendromus lovati'') is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found only in Ethiopia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland. It is threatened by habitat loss Habitat des ...

, ''Dendromus lovati'' * Gray climbing mouse, ''Dendromus melanotis'' *

Brants's climbing mouse Brants's climbing mouse (''Dendromus mesomelas'') is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. Its natural habi ...

, ''Dendromus mesomelas'' * Banana climbing mouse, ''Dendromus messorius'' *

Chestnut climbing mouse The chestnut climbing mouse (''Dendromus mystacalis'') is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzan ...

, ''Dendromus mystacalis'' * Kivu climbing mouse, ''Dendromus nyasae (kivu)'' * Nyika climbing mouse, ''Dendromus nyikae'' * Cameroon climbing mouse, ''Dendromus oreas'' * Rupp's African climbing mouse, ''Dendromus ruppi'' * Vernay's climbing mouse, ''Dendromus vernayi''

References

*Denys, C. and V. Aniskine. 2012. On a new species of ''Dendromus'' (Rodentia, Nesomyidae) from Mount Nimba, Guinea. Mammalia, 76:295–308. *McKenna, Malcolm C., and Bell, Susan K. 1997. ''Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level.'' Columbia University Press, New York, 631 pp. *Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 ''in'' Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. *Nowak, Ronald M. 1999. ''Walker's Mammals of the World'', 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1936 pp. {{Taxonbar, from=Q386262 Taxa named by Andrew Smith (zoologist) Rodent genera