Thomas's vlei rat

Species of rodent

Thomas's vlei rat
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Muridae
Genus:	Otomys
Species:	O. thomasi
Binomial name
*Otomys thomasi* Osgood, 1910^[2]
Synonyms
Otomys typus ssp. thomasi Bohmann 1952

Thomas's vlei rat (Otomys thomasi) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Kenya's high plateau mountains of the Rift Valley.^[1]^[3]

Taxonomy

Osgood (1910) initially described this species as Otomys thomasi.^[2] In 2006, it would be included under Otomys orestes (afroalpine vlei rat) by Carleton & Byrne.^[1] Taylor et al. (2011) reviewed the genus Otomys and moved Otomys thomasi back to species status.^[4]^[1]

Conservation

It is known from less than 10 locations in Kenya and isn't recorded in protected areas, hence the assessment of the species as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Taylor, P.J.; Relton, C. (2021). "Otomys thomasi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T48016232A78324728. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T48016232A78324728.en.
^ ^a ^b Osgood, W. H. (1910). "Diagnoses of new East African mammals, including a new genus of Muridae". Field Museum of Natural History. 10 (2). Retrieved 17 February 2023.
^ "Otomys thomasi (id=1003412)". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
^ Taylor, Peter J.; Lavrenchenko, Leonid A.; Carleton, Michael D.; Verheyen, Erik; Bennett, Nigel C.; Oosthuizen, Carel J.; Maree, Sarita (13 September 2011). "Specific limits and emerging diversity patterns in East African populations of laminate-toothed rats, genus Otomys (Muridae: Murinae: Otomyini): Revision of the Otomys typus complex" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3024 (1): 1–66. doi:10.11646/ZOOTAXA.3024.1.1. S2CID 59381852. Retrieved 17 February 2023.

Extant species of subfamily Murinae (Otomys)

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordate
Class: Mammalia
Superorder: Euarchontoglires
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae

Myotomys
(African karoo rats)

Sloggett's vlei rat (M. sloggetti)
Bush vlei rat (M. unisulcatus)

Otomys
(Vlei rats)

Angolan vlei rat (O. anchietae)
Angoni vlei rat (O. angoniensis)
Barbour's vlei rat (O. barbouri)
Burton's vlei rat (O. burtoni)
Cheesman's vlei rat (O. cheesmani)
Cuanza vlei rat (O. cuanzensis)
Ruwenzori vlei rat (O. dartmouthi)
Dent's vlei rat (O. denti)
Dollman's vlei rat (O. dollmani)
Charada vlei rat (O. fortior)
Heller's vlei rat (O. helleri)
Southern African vlei rat (O. irroratus)
Mount Elgon vlei rat (O. jacksoni)
Tanzanian vlei rat (O. lacustris)
Laminate vlei rat (O. laminatus)
Large vlei rat (O. maximus)
Western vlei rat (O. occidentalis)
Afroalpine vlei rat (O. orestes)
Saunder's vlei rat (O. saundersiae)
Simien vlei rat (O. simiensis)
Thomas's vlei rat (O. thomasi)
Tropical vlei rat (O. tropicalis)
Typical vlei rat (O. typus)
Uzungwe vlei rat (O. uzungwensis)
Yalden's vlei rat (O. yaldeni)
Mount Kilimanjaro vlei rat (O. zinki)

Parotomys
(Whistling rats)

Brants's whistling rat (P. brantsii)
Littledale's whistling rat (P. littledalei)

See also: Aethomys–Chrotomys; Colomys–Golunda; Hadromys–Maxomys; Melasmothrix–Mus; Oenomys–Pithecheir; Pogonomys–Pseudomys; Rattus; Stenocephalomys–Xeromys; Others