Monticolomys koopmani
| Monticolomys | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Nesomyidae |
| Genus: |
Monticolomys Carleton & Goodman, 1996 |
| Species: | M. koopmani |
| Binomial name | |
|
Monticolomys koopmani Carleton & Goodman, 1996 |
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| Known collection localities of Monticolomys koopmani | |
Monticolomys is a genus of rodents within the subfamily Nesomyinae of the family Nesomyidae, and is closely related to Macrotarsomys. The only species, Monticolomys koopmani, also known as the Malagasy mountain mouse or Koopman's montane voalavo, is found in the highlands of eastern Madagascar. A small mouse-like rodent, M. koopmani is dark brown on the upperparts and dark gray below. It has small, rounded, densely haired ears and broad feet with well-developed pads. The long tail lacks a tuft at the tip. The skull is delicate and lacks crests and ridges on its roof.
First collected in 1929, Monticolomys koopmani was not formally described until 1996, but it is now known to have a broad distribution. Active during the night, it occurs in both montane forest and human-disturbed grasslands and feeds on fruits and seeds. A scansorial animal, it climbs trees but also lives on the ground. Although habitat destruction may pose a threat, it is classified as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List.
A specimen of Monticolomys koopmani was captured in 1929 during the Mission Zoologique Franco-Anglo-Américaine to Madagascar, but the rodents obtained by the expedition were never studied in detail. It was not until the 1970s that Karl Koopman and Guy Musser recognized that the animal—whose skin had landed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, while the skull was at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris—represented an otherwise unknown species. However, they never published their results. In 1993, Steven Goodman rediscovered the species on Madagascar and in 1996 he and Michael Carleton finally published a formal description. They named the animal Monticolomys koopmani, as the sole member of a new genus. The generic name Monticolomys means "mountain-dwelling mouse" and refers to the animal's montane habitat, and the specific name koopmani honors Karl Koopman for his many contributions to mammalian systematics.Common names in use for the animal include "Koopman's Montane Voalavo" and "Malagasy Mountain Mouse".
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