Walter Verheyen's mouse (''Hylomyscus walterverheyeni'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

of the genus ''

Hylomyscus ''Hylomyscus'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square&nbs ...

'' that is found in the Central African lowland and mountain forests.

Description

The species was first described in 2008 and was named after Walter Verheyen, who was the first to study the genus ''Hylomyscus''. ''Hylomyscus walterverheyeni'' has soft, fine fur which is reddish brown on its back and whitish gray on its underside. Juveniles are blackish gray. The mean head-body length is 86 mm and the mean tail length is 129 mm. It weighs between 11 and 29 g (mean 18 g). The species morphology is very similar to related species '' Hylomyscus stella''. It can be distinguished by DNA analysis, and cranial and dental

morphometrics Morphometrics (from Greek μορϕή ''morphe'', "shape, form", and -μετρία ''metria'', "measurement") or morphometry refers to the quantitative analysis of ''form'', a concept that encompasses size and shape. Morphometric analyses are co ...

Distribution

The species is found in forests up to 2000 m is the Republic of Congo,

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...

Central African Republic The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...

, and south-east and western

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...

Diet

Their diet consists of insects, fruits, and seeds. The availability of food depends on the location and time of year.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3787850 Hylomyscus Mammals of Gabon Mammals of Cameroon Mammals described in 2008