Leimacomys büttneri Matschie 1893

Leimacomys büttneri Matschie 1893, Sitzb. Ges. Naturf. Fr. Berlin: 109.

Type Locality: Togo, Bismarckburg, 710 m (see Denys, 1993; Misonne, 1966; and Rosevear, 1969 for additional data).

Vernacular Names: Buttner's African Forest Mouse.

Distribution: Recorded only from the type locality; may also occur in adjacent high forest of Ghana (Grubb et al., 1998).

Conservation: IUCN – Data Deficient.

Discussion: Still known only by two specimens obtained in 1890 (Dieterlen, 1976 a; Misonne, 1966; Rosevear, 1969). The species has not been collected for nearly a century and has been either declared extinct, regarded as critically endangered, or believed to still exist (see discussion and references in Grubb et al., 1998:189). Recent mammal surveys of Togo have not included forest habitats (Grubb et al., 1998) and so are uninformative about the present existence of L. buettneri in that country. The type locality is in high forest and the species is insectivorous (Dieterlen, 1976 a); otherwise, its ecology and actual geographic distribution are a mystery. Insectivorous muroids are notoriously difficult to capture with usual kinds of traps and require pitfall and other techniques. Focused survey of long duration in forests of Togo and nearby in Ghana should be conducted to assess the status of this unique rodent.