Dasymys incomtus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	MURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Dasymys incomtus

Species Authority:

(Sundevall, 1847)

Common Name/s:

English

–

African Marsh Rat, Common Dasymys

Synonym/s:

Dasymys alleni Lawrence & Loveridge, 1953

Dasymys cabrali W. Verheyen, Hulselmans, Dierckx, Colyn, Leirs & E. Verheyen, 2003

Dasymys rwandae W. Verheyen, Hulselmans, Dierckx, Colyn, Leirs & E. Verheyen, 2003

Dasymys sua W. Verheyen, Hulselmans, Dierckx, Colyn, Leirs & E. Verheyen, 2003

Taxonomic Notes:

Dasymys incomtus possibly represents a complex of several similar species. Further studies are needed to clarify the taxonomic status of populations currently allocated to this species. We follow Happold (in press) by including Dasymys alleni, D. cabrali, D. rwandae and D. sua in D. incomtus.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Taylor, P.J.

Reviewer/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Cox, N. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, it occurs in a number of protected areas, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. Additional taxonomic studies might reveal this taxon to be comprised of several species for which a review of the Red List Assessment will be necessary.

History:

2004	–	Least Concern
2000	–	Data Deficient

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species has been widely recorded over Central Africa, East Africa and parts of Southern Africa. It ranges from Congo and Central African Republic in the west, through the Congo Basin, to southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya, and from here southwards into Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, western Mozambique and Zimbabwe, ranging as far west as northern Botswana and Namibia and as far south as eastern and coastal regions of South Africa.
Countries:	Native: Angola (Angola); Botswana; Burundi; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Ethiopia; Kenya; Malawi; Mozambique; Namibia; Rwanda; South Africa; Sudan; Swaziland; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The abundance and population size of this species is not known.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species has been recorded from a wide variety of habitats, including forest and savanna habitats, swampland and grasslands. It is unclear if the species can persist in agricultural landscapes.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats to this species as a whole.

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats to this species as a whole.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	In view of the species wide range it is presumably present in many protected areas. Further studies are needed to resolve taxonomic questions concerning the validity of several taxa currently included within the Dasymys incomtus species complex.

Conservation Actions:

In view of the species wide range it is presumably present in many protected areas. Further studies are needed to resolve taxonomic questions concerning the validity of several taxa currently included within the Dasymys incomtus species complex.

Citation:	Taylor, P.J. 2008. Dasymys incomtus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.
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