The sheath-tailed mouse (''Mus fragilicauda'') is a
mouse
A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...
found in two locations in central
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
and in
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
.
They were discovered and documented in 2002. It is the only known ''Mus'' species to lose its tail
integument
In biology, an integument is the tissue surrounding an organism's body or an organ within, such as skin, a husk, shell, germ or rind.
Etymology
The term is derived from ''integumentum'', which is Latin for "a covering". In a transferred, or ...
when handled. It is sometimes found with the
fawn-colored mouse
The fawn-colored mouse (''Mus cervicolor'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found in Cambodia, India, and possibly Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), offici ...
.
Range
In
Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, ''Mus fragilicauda'' has been recorded in Ban Nong Sanga and Tumbon. It has also been recorded in
Loei
Loei (; ) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in northeast Thailand. Loei covers the whole ''tambon'' of Mueang Loei district and is the capital of Loei province. In 2017, Loei had a population of 21,013. Loei lies 545 km north-northeast of Ba ...
, Thailand and in Lamam,
Sekong Province, Laos.
References
External links
Zoologica documentation
Mus (rodent)
Mammals described in 2003
{{Mus-stub