Praomys

Praomys daltoni

The African Soft rats ( Praomys ) are a rodent species from the group of Altweltmäuse ( Murinae ). The genus contains 16 species.

General

Named giving feature of these rodents is the soft fur, which can be short or long depending on the type. Its color varies from yellow at the top over red-brown to gray, the underside is white, yellow or light gray. The body is slender, pointed the head and the ears are large and round. The animals reach a body length 9-14 centimeters, the tail measures 11 to 17 inches and the weight is 21-57 grams.

African Soft rats are native to sub-Saharan Africa, their range extends from Senegal and southern Sudan to Angola and Malawi. Their habitat are predominantly moist forests.

These animals are nocturnal and keep at least temporarily, to the trees. They build nests leaves in the trees or on the ground, some species also dig short burrows. There are omnivorous, feeding on fruits, seeds and green parts of plants, but also insects.

System

16 species can be distinguished:

• Praomys daltoni is widespread in western Africa.
• Praomys degraaffi lives in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
• Praomys delectorum inhabited mountain countries in eastern Africa.
• Praomys derooi comes from Ghana to Nigeria before.
• Praomys hartwigi is known only from the region around Mount Oku in Cameroon.
• Praomys jacksoni lives throughout much of the middle of Africa.
• Praomys lukolelae occurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Congo Basin.
• Praomys minor is also only known from the Congo Basin.
• Praomys misonnei lives in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya and Uganda.
• Praomys morio inhabited Cameroon and Bioko Island.
• Praomys mutoni is known only from one area to the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Praomys obscurus lives only in south-eastern Nigeria.
• Praomys petteri is distributed from Cameroon to the Republic of Congo.
• Praomys rostratus occurs in West Africa from Senegal to Ghana before.
• Praomys tullbergi inhabited large parts of West Africa.
• Praomys verschureni lives in the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The IUCN lists hartwigi P., P. morio and P. obscurus degraaffi as " critically endangered " ( endangered ), P. as " endangered" ( vulnerable ) and P. delectorum as "low risk" ( near threatened ). Verschureni for P. minor, P. and P. mutoni lacked data, the other species are not endangered.

Systematically, the genus is part of the Stenocephalemys group.