African highlands as mammal diversity hotspots: new records of Lamottemys okuensis Petter, 1986 (Rodentia: Muridae) and other endemic rodents from Mt Oku, Cameroon

• Published in: Zoosystema Vol. 36; no. 3; pp. 647 - 690
• Main Authors: Denys, Christiane, Didier Missoup, Alain, Nicolas, Violaine, Fülling, Olaf, Delapré, Arnaud, Bilong Bilong, Charles Felix, J. Taylor, Peter John, Hutterer, Rainer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Paris National Museum of Natural History 01.09.2014; Editions scientifiques du Muséum; Museum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle Paris
• Subjects: Africa; Afrique; Biodiversity; Biodiversité; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation; Endemism; Endémisme; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Life Sciences; Mammalia; new records; nouveaux signalements; Rodentia; Rongeurs; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Cameroon; Central Africa; Sub-Saharan Africa; Africa; Forests; Endemic species; Taxonomy; Tropical zone; Hot spot; Rodentia; Diagnosis (taxonomy); First record; Anatomy; Biodiversity; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Faunal survey; Mountain; Geographic distribution; Muridae; Skull
• DOI: 10.5252/z2014n3a6
• ISSN: 1280-9551

The Cameroon volcanic line (CVL), which represents a major topographical feature of Central Africa, is poorly known concerning its small-mammal biodiversity. Situated in the Bamenda-Banso highland plateau, Mt Oku is the second highest peak (3011 m) of the CVL after Mt Cameroon. Despite intensive cultivation and cattle grazing, especially in the Kilum-Idjim zone, Mt Oku has retained some relict mountain forests, which yielded many endemic small mammals. We conducted new taxonomic inventories for small mammals and present the results for rodents focussing on morphology and morphometry. We also present the skull characters and morphological variability of the Oku endemic genus LamottemysPetter, 1986 and provide characters for the identification of other endemic species such as Otomys occidentalisDieterlen & Van der Straeten, 1992, Praomys hartwigiEisentraut, 1968, Paraxerus cooperi Hayman, 1950, Lophuromys dieterleniVerheyen, Hulselmans, Colyn & Hutterer, 1997 and Lemniscomys mittendorfiEisentraut, 1968. We provide an update of the faunal list of Mt Oku and also include a revision of previous collections. We found an exceptional diversity of 26 rodent species, including two species never recorded before on Oku (Dendromus sp. Smith, 1829 and Funisciurus leucogenys F. Cuvier, 1842). A comparison with East African highlands and Mt Cameroon confirms the conservation importance of the West African mountains of the CVL as biodiversity hotspots.