Cricetomys cf. emini ( Wroughton, 1910 )

Denys, Christiane, Missoup, Alain Didier, Nicolas, Violaine, Sylla, Morlaye, Douno, Mory, Kadjo, Blaise, Lalis, Aude & Monadjem, Ara, 2025, Annotated checklist of rodents from a biodiversity hotspot, Mount Nimba (West Africa), Zoosystema 47 (27), pp. 617-689 : 650

Cricetomys cf. emini ( Wroughton, 1910)

Cricetomys gambianus emini Wroughton, 1910: 269 .

REMARKS

Olayemi et al. (2012) showed that the western clade of C. emini s.l. is clearly distinct from the eastern clade, hence we refer to specimens from Mount Nimba as Cricetomys cf. emini . A few specimens attributed to this species have been collected mostly in the forests at lower altitudes ( Heim de Balsac & Lamotte 1958; Gautun et al. 1986). We did not collect any new specimens but two individuals were observed in TMF during Mission 2, of the western Nimba survey in Liberia.

The skins of the two specimens of C. cf. emini (MNHN-ZM-MO-1987-139 and 1991-2261) display a harsh pale-yellow pelage and are poorly preserved with no standard external measurements preserved. In fact, C. cf. emini is distinguished from C. gambanius on the basis of its short pelage and well contrasted dorso-ventral pelage. According to Genest-Villard (1967), both species can be discriminated by using a skull ratio. Here our Nimba specimens harbour a bizygomatic/ GTL ratio lower than 45.5 that corresponds to C. cf. emini s.l. ( Table 9 ). The skull is large and narrow, with fronto parietal crests well visible. The incisor foramina are short as well as the tympanic bullae. There are no clear molar morphological differences between C. emini and C. gambianus from molar cusps morphology. The upper molars display bunodont cusps with a well isolated, round t4. Cusps are relatively well aligned, and one can observe small longitudinal connections between rows of cusps. On the upper M2-3 one can see a t3 and no t1. The M3/3 are large and are about same size (slightly larger) as the M2. Many cingular cusplets are visible on the lower molars with a well-marked posterior cingulum.