The discovery of eight new mouse species!

Quite extraordinary

Researchers of our museum are closely observing ecosystems all over the world. They would like to understand the delicate balances that maintain nature. In doing so, they occasionally discover new animal species, for the most part insects and other invertebrates. New mammal species are rare finds indeed, but together with an international team of researchers, biologist Eric Verheyen has made sensational discoveries in the last few years: no less than eight new species of East African mice, all belonging tot the genus Lophuromys.

More mice than you ever thought

The genus Lophuromys is a peculiar group of mice, occurring only in sub-Saharan Africa. Because of the uncommonly stiff hairs of their coat, these species are known as ‘brush-furred rats’; ‘harsh-furred rats’ or ‘coarse-haired mice’. These chunky mice have relatively short legs. Some species are speckled. The colour of their fur ranges from tan to greenish grey and dark brown. Their belly can be rusty, orange, brown, or even cream coloured. The tails and fragile skins of these solitary animals break without problems, which allows them an easy escape from predators.

These small animals thrive in moist habitats. Research shows that their geographic distribution is determined by rainfall, and not by altitude, temperature or biotope structure. Their typical diet consists of ants, other insects and invertebrates, carrion, and plant matter. It is noteworthy that they appear to feed more on animal matter than most Muridae (Muridae is a rodent family, which includes most European and Asian rats).