Stenocephalemys

The Ethiopian short head rats ( Stenocephalemys ) are a rodent species from the group of Altweltmäuse ( Murinae ). The genus includes four species.

These rodents reach a body length 12-20 inches, added a 11 to 17 centimeters long tail. The weight is about 100 to 140 grams. The coat is soft and dense, it is brownish in color on the back, paws and belly are whitish- gray. Named giving feature is the squashed -looking head, the ears are large.

Ethiopian short head rats live in Ethiopia and Eritrea, their habitat is scrub and grasslands up to 4000 meters above sea level. They are nocturnal and use trails for faster progress in the dense vegetation. Otherwise, little is known about their way of life.

System

The Ethiopian short head rats are within the Altweltmäuse the namesake of the Stenocephalemys - generic group, a person living in Africa group that acts as yet the genera African smoke mice ( Heimyscus ), African wood mice ( Hylomyscus ), Mastomys ( Mastomys ) Myomyscus (formerly Myomys ) and African Soft rats ( Praomys ) includes.

According to genetic studies of Lecompte et al. (2008 ) are the animals of the Stenocephalemys group together with the Colomys group disseminated in Africa Radiation of Altweltmäuse, the Praomyini.

Within the genus four types can be distinguished:

• Stenocephalemys albipes lives in western Ethiopia and Eritrea.
• Stenocephalemys albocaudata inhabited a small area in south-eastern Ethiopia.
• Stenocephalemys griseicauda is located in northern Ethiopia.
• Stenocephalemys ruppi occurs only in a small area in southwestern Ethiopia.

By S. ruppi only nine specimens are known, the degree of hazard of this type is unclear. The other three species are not endangered frequently and IUCN.