Praomys delectorum (Thomas 1910)

Praomys delectorum (Thomas 1910) View in CoL

[Praomys] delectorum (Thomas 1910) View in CoL , Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 6: 430.

Type Locality: S Malawi, Mlanji Plateau, 5500 ft (1675 m).

Vernacular Names: East African Praomys.

Synonyms: Praomys melanotus G. M. Allen and Loveridge 1933 ; Praomys octomastis Hatt 1940 ; Praomys taitae ( Heller 1912) .

Distribution: High plateaus and isolated mountains from NE Zambia (Nyika Plateau, Makutus, and Mafingas; Ansell, 1978) and Malawi (Nyika Plateau; Ansell and Dowsett, 1988), through Tanzania ( Swynnerton and Hayman, 1951) to SE Kenya ( Hollister, 1919).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Of the synonyms belonging here, taitae was described as a species ( Heller, 1912) and recognized as such by Hollister (1919) and Swynnerton and Hayman (1951), melanotus was described as a form of P. tullbergi (G. M. Allen and Loveridge, 1933) , and octomastis was presented as a subspecies of P. jacksoni ( Hatt, 1940 b) . Demeter and Hutterer (1986) suggested that taitae is synonymous with Hylomyscus denniae , but it is not, judging from our study of specimens and relevant holotypes. Van der Straeten and Kerbis Peterhans (1999) recognized melanotus , octomastis , and taitae as valid species in the P. delectorum complex, but presented no substantiating evidence defining their morphological and distributional limits. A sample of taitae had 2n = 48 ( Matthey, 1965 a). Distribution in the Eastern Arc Mtns of Tanzania discussed by Stanley et al. (1998) and on slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro by Grimshaw et al. (1995).