The Mount Oku rat (''Lamottemys okuensis'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

in the family

Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are either the largest or second-largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 870 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. ...

. It is the only species 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 ...

''Lamottemys''. It is found only in

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

where its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

Description

The Mount Oku rat is a medium-sized species growing to a head-and-body length of about . The dorsal fur is glossy and soft, dark brownish-black tinged with russet, with no stripe along the spine. The individual hairs are dark grey, banded with ochre and with black tips, and there are numerous longer, black guard hairs. The underparts are yellowish-grey, the hairs having grey bases and yellowish tips. The limbs are yellowish-brown, with four digits on the front feet and five digits on the hind. The tail is about the same length as the body, and is covered with scales and small black bristles.

Distribution and habitat

This rat is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to Cameroon in West Africa where it is only known from the forested slopes of

Mount Oku Mount Oku, or Kilum Mountain, is the largest volcano in the Oku Massif, in the Cameroon Volcanic Line, located in the Oku region of the Western High Plateau of Cameroon. It is the second highest mountain in mainland Central Africa. The stratovo ...

at altitudes of between in areas with thorn-bushes, dense undergrowth and rough vegetation. It is unclear whether it can adapt to secondary growth forest.

Ecology

This species is probably herbivorous and terrestrial, based on its body proportions. One female captured in the dry season (January) contained a single developing embryo, so litter sizes may be low. Genets and

mongoose A mongoose is a small terrestrial carnivorous mammal belonging to the family Herpestidae. This family has two subfamilies, the Herpestinae and the Mungotinae. The Herpestinae comprises 23 living species that are native to southern Europe, A ...

s are likely to be

predators Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

of this rat, and it is also hunted for food by local villagers.

Status

This rat has a limited range, its total area of occupancy being about , with all the population being located on the forested slopes of Mount Oku. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...

has assessed its conservation status as being "

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

", based on the continuing degradation of the forest, parts of which are being cleared for agricultural purposes.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q301788 Old World rats and mice Rodents of Africa Mammals described in 1986 Endemic fauna of Cameroon Fauna of the Cameroonian Highlands forests Endangered biota of Africa