Malacomys cansdalei Ansell, 1958

Malacomys cansdalei Ansell, 1958 View in CoL

Malacomys longipes cansdalei Ansell, 1958: 342 View in CoL .

REMARKS

This large species is represented on Mount Nimba by a single specimen found during Mission 2 in Bentor 1 ( Liberia). The tail is bicolored and there is a light frontal spot. The holotype of M. cansdalei displays a white belly sharply delimited from the brown dorsal pelage. The specimen DM13173 was barcoded and its Cyt B sequence fits well with other specimens of M. cansdalei . The new Nimba specimen DM13173 displays very long hindfeet ( 42.7 mm) and its external measurements fit well the M. cansdalei holotype and paratypes ( Table 7 View TABLE ).

The holotype displays small and short incisor foramina; the pterygoid fossa is well behind the M3 which distinguishes the species from M. edwardsi according to Bellier & Gautun (1968). The molar rows are very narrow like in M. edwardsi and relatively small compared to the skull length. The strong t1 of the upper M1 is not isolated from the t2 and t3 and is posterior compared to the t2-t3. The t2 and t3 are not well differentiated, fused in a single transverse lobe. The t4 is posterior to the t5 and t6 and display a small longitudinal crest. The t9 is small but it remains visible on M1 but not on M2. The upper M3 has a big t1 like on the M12, there are two lobes on the M3 which counts three main cusps. On the lower molars, there is a longitudinal link between the prelobe and the first chevron. There is a big posterior cingulum on the m12. The second lobe of the m3 shows trace of a single cusp. However, the two cusps of the first chevron are more aligned transversally than in M. edwardsi . The second lobe of the m3 is much narrower than in M. edwardsi and there is no trace of a second cusp.