Lophuromys (Lophuromys) brunneus Thomas 1906

Lophuromys (Lophuromys) brunneus Thomas 1906, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 18: 305.

Type Locality: S Ethiopia, Manno-Jimma, 4200 ft (1280 m; W. Verheyen et al., 2002, provide coordinates).

Vernacular Names: Thomas's Ethiopian Brush-furred Rat.

Synonyms: Lophuromys (Lophuromys) simensis Osgood 1936 .

Distribution: Endemic to S Ethiopia on highlands west of the Rift Valley, from the Simien Mtns in the north to Manno-Jimma in the south (see specimens examined in W. Verheyen et al., 2002).

Discussion: Subgenus Lophuromys, L. aquilus species group (W. Verheyen et al., 2002). Originally described as a subspecies of L. aquilus, later allocated to L. flavopunctatus as a probable synonym of L. f. zaphiri (Osgood, 1936), and included in L. flavopunctatus until now (Misonne, 1974; Musser and Carleton, 1993; Yalden et al., 1976, 1996). Morphometric analyses by W. Verheyen et al. (2002) indicated brunneus to be a species distinct from all the other Ethiopian Lophuromys except the Ethiopian L. chrysopus to which it is closely related, and that simensis is likely a synonym. Lavrenchenko et al. (1998 b) speculated that simensis may represent a separate species in the Simien Mtns. See account of L. chrysopus .