Thamnomys venustus Thomas 1907

Thamnomys venustus Thomas 1907, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 19: 122.

Type Locality: Uganda, Mubuku Valley, Ruwenzori East, 7000 ft (2134 m); see G. M. Allen and Loveridge (1942) for details.

Vernacular Names: Thomas's Thamnomys.

Synonyms: Thamnomys kivuensis G. M. Allen and Loveridge 1942; Thamnomys schoutedeni Hatt 1934 .

Distribution: From lowlands of NE Dem Rep. Congo at Medje (617 m; specimens in AMNH) south through Ruwenzori Mtns of W Uganda (G. M. Allen and Loveridge, 1942; Delany, 1975; Thomas, 1907 a; specimens in FMNH and MCZ) to the Kivu volcanos in E Dem. Rep. Congo (G. M. Allen and Loveridge, 1942; specimens in MCZ), 600-2100 m; distributional limits unresolved.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: An appreciably smaller-bodied species than T. major (see that account) and recorded from a more expansive range and generally at lower altitudes. Both kivuensis (G. M. Allen and Loveridge, 1942) and schoutedeni (Hatt, 1934) were described as a subspecies of T. venustus . Altitudinal distribution on Ugandan slopes of Ruwenzori Mtns reviewed by Kerbis Peterhans et al. (1998) and compared with distributions of entire small mammal fauna in those highlands.