Mammals of the Albertine Rift

Published: July 1, 2009, 12:00 am

Updated: July 8, 2012, 4:19 am

Topics:

Conservation Biology (main) Biodiversity (main) Zoology (main) Species (main)

Mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei), critically endangered endemic. Source: D.Proffer

The mammals of the Albertine Rift number 402 recorded species. Th ese occurrences represent of all the mammal speciesthat can be found on the African continent. Of these species, 35 are considered to be highly threatened by extinction (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable as classified by IUCN criteria).

The following 49 species are identified by the Wildlife Conservation Society as endemic or near endemic to the Albertine rift. Many of these are small mammals such as shrews, rats and bats. A few of the larger taxa include the Rwenzori duiker (Cephalophus rubidus), which only occurs at high altitudes in the Rwenzori massif, and the golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti) which is confined to the Virunga Volcanoes. The Mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei)is an endemic subspecies. A few larger mammals are near-endemic species, such as Grauer's gorilla (Gorilla beringei graueri) and L'hoest's guenon (Cercopithecus l'hoesti). Symbols used in the table are AR for Albertine Rift endemic, and NE for Albertine Rift near-endemic.

Family	Species	Common name	IUCN Status	Endemic status
Bovidae	Cephalophus rubidus	Rwenzori Duiker		AR
Cercopithecidae	Cercopithecus hamlyni	Owl-faced monkey	LR/nt	NE
Cercopithecidae	Cercopithecus lhoesti	L'hoest's monkey	LR/nt	NE
Cercopithecidae	Cercopithecus mitis kandti	Golden monkey	EN	AR
Cercopithecidae	Piliocolobus oustaleti	Red colobus	EN	AR
Cricetidae	Delanymys brooksi	Delany's Mouse		AR
Cricetidae	Dendromus kahuziensis	Kahuzi Climbing Mouse	LR/nt	AR
Cricetidae	Dendromus kivu	Rwenzori climbing mouse		AR
Galagonidae	Galago matschiei	Spectacled Galago	LR/nt	NE
Hominidae	Gorilla beringei beringei	Mountain gorilla	CR	AR
Hominidae	Gorilla beringei graueri	Grauer's Gorilla	EN	NE
Muridae	Dasymys montanus	Montane Marsh Rat	VU	AR
Muridae	Grammomys dryas	Montane Thicket Rat		AR
Muridae	Hybomys lunaris	Rwenzori striped mouse		NE
Muridae	Lophuromys cinereus	Brush-furred Rat	Data Deficient	AR
Muridae	Lophuromys medicaudatus	Brush-furred Rat	LR/nt	AR
Muridae	Lophuromys rahmi	Brush-furred Rat	LR/nt	AR
Muridae	Lophuromys woosnami	Woosnam's Brush-furred rat		AR
Muridae	Mus bufo	Western Rift Pygmy Mouse		AR
Muridae	Pelomys hopkinsi	Papyrus Rat	VU	NE
Muridae	Praomys degraafi			AR
Muridae	Praomys montis			AR
Muridae	Thamnomys kempi	Kemps' Forest Rat		AR
Muridae	Thamnomys venustus			AR
Rhinolophidae	Rhinolophus hilli			AR
Rhinolophidae	Rhinolophus ruwenzorii			AR
Rhizomyidae	Tachyoryctes ankoliae	Mole rat/Desmol	VU	NE
Rhizomyidae	Tachyoryctes ruandae	Mole rat/Desmol		AR
Sciuridae	Funisciurus carruthersi	Carruther's Mountain Tree Squirrel	VU	AR
Sciuridae	Heliosciurus ruwenzorii	Montane Sun Squirrel		AR
Soricidae	Crocidura kivuana	Musk Shrew	VU	AR
Soricidae	Crocidura lanosa	Musk Shrew		AR
Soricidae	Crocidura maurisica	Northern Swamp Musk Shrew		NE
Soricidae	Crocidura montis			NE
Soricidae	Crocidura niobe	Rwenzori Musk Shrew		AR
Soricidae	Crocidura stenocephala	Musk Shrew	VU	AR
Soricidae	Myosorex babaulti	Mouse Shrew		AR
Soricidae	Myosorex blarina	Rwenzori Mouse Shrew	VU	AR
Soricidae	Myosorex schalleri	Schaller's Mouse Shrew	CR	AR
Soricidae	Paracrocidura graueri	Grauer's Montane Shrew	CR	AR
Soricidae	Paracrocidura maxima	East African Montane Shrew		AR
Soricidae	Rwenzorisorex suncoides	Osgood's Montane Shrew	VU	AR
Soricidae	Scutisorex somereni	Hero shrew		NE
Soricidae	Sylvisorex granti	Least long-tailed Forest Shrew		NE
Soricidae	Sylvisorex lunaris			AR
Soricidae	Sylvisorex vulcanorum			AR
Tenrecidae	Micropotamogale ruwenzorii	Rwenzori Otter Shrew	EN	AR
Viverridae	Genetta victoriae	Giant Forest Genet		NE
Viverridae	Osbornicitis piscivora	Aquatic Genet	Data Deficient	NE

Further reading

• Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J. et al. (2010). Molnar, J. L.. ed. The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. University of California Press. ISBN978-0-520-26256-0.
• Caughley, G. (1994). Directions in conservation biology. Journal of Animal Ecology 63:215–244.
• Plumptre, A.J., and Williamson, E.A. (2001). Conservation-oriented research in the Virunga region. In: Robbins, M.M., Sicotte, P. and Stewart, K.J. (eds.) Mountain Gorillas: Three Decades of Research at Karisoke. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 362–389.

Citation

Saundry, P. (2012). Mammals of the Albertine Rift. Retrieved from http://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Mammals_of_the_Albertine_Rift