Graphiurus lorraineus Dollman 1910
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Gliridae
Graphiurus
Graphiurus lorraineus

description: 8.
Lorraine’s African Dormouse
Graphiurus lorraineus
French: Loir africain / German: Lorraine-Bilch / Spanish: Liron de Lorraine
Other common names: Lorrain Dormouse
Taxonomy. Graphiurus lorraineus Dollman, 1910,
Molegbwe, south of Setema Rapids, Welle (Uele) River, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Placed in the subgenus Graphiurus. Originally described as a valid species, G. lorraineus has been considered historically as either a subspecies or synonym of G. murinus by many authors. In 2009, M. E. Holden and R. S. Levine discussed the considerable variation in pelage color and cranial traits existing among populations of G. lorraineus throughout its broad distribution, and stated that future research will likely uncover more than one species contained in whatis now recognized as a single species. They considered “true” G. lorraineus to contain populations in eastern DR Congo, southern Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. They placed other populations that seem to be aligned with G. lorraineus but exhibit differences in pelage and cranial traits within a “ G. lorraineus complex” including populations from Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, south-western Cameroon, Central African Republic, north-eastern Angola, southern DR Congo, and northern Zambia. Holden in 2013 stated that G. lorraineus might be closely related to G. johnstoni. If future research indicates that the two species are conspecific, G. lorraineus would become a junior synonym of G. johnstoni. Samples of montane populations in Cameroon exhibit morphological and ecological differences compared with true G. lorraineus and other populations within the G. lorraineus species complex, and likely represent one or more separate species, as has been documented for other rodents occurring in the Cameroon Volcanic Line; for example, P. J. Taylor and colleagues in 2014 documented that two montane populations of African vlei rats (Otomys) from this region represent separate endemic species. A comprehensive systematic revision ofthis species integrating molecular and morphometric data is needed to uncover and resolve species-level diversity within this taxon. Specimens initially identified as G. lorraineus from Gambia are now recognized as G. kelleni as explained by Holden in 2005. The western distributional limit for this species is Sierra Leone; specimens determined as “ G. murinus ” (presumably attributable to the named form spurrelli, which is a synonym of G. lorraineus) from wooded savanna in Senegal cannot be substantiated, and are excluded here. Monotypic.
Distribution. W & C Africa, in two disjunct areas, from S Guinea and Sierra Leone to Ghana, and from SW Nigeria (E of Niger River) SE through Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (including Bioko I), and Gabon to Republic of the Congo, and E to SW Central African Republic, DR Congo, extreme NE Angola, and extreme NC Zambia.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 72-93 mm, tail 54-74 mm, ear 9-15 mm, hindfoot 14-19 mm; weight, 12-24 g. No sexual dimorphism. Lorraine’s African Dormouse externally resembles the Thick-tailed African Dormice (G. crassicaudatus) but is easily distinguished by cranial characteristics. Dorsal pelage of Lorraine’s African Dormice is usually reddish brown, sometimes copper, although some individuals are paler and have sandy brown coat color. Furis soft, short, and not piled; rump hairs are 5-6 mm, and guard hairs are up to 9 mm. Ventral pelage is dark gray washed with cream or ocher, and dorsal and ventral pelage colors are not clearly delineated. Eyes are large, and eye mask is conspicuous in some individuals, although others only have narrow dark eye-rings. Cheeks are dark gray washed with ocher, or predominantly cream. Ears are brown, short, and rounded; post-auricular patches are usually not present, but some individuals from Cameroon have white post-auricular patches. Hindfeet are usually white with dark metatarsal streak. Tail is moderately long, c.79% of head-body length. Tail hairs are shorter at base, 2-3 mm, with longer hairs toward tip, up to 21 mm. Tail usually appears distichous because tail hairs project laterally in many individuals. Tail color generally matches that of dorsal pelage and is uniform in color, with sparse or no white hairs mixed in, and usually without white tip. Greatest length of skull is 22:7-26-1 mm, zygomatic breadth is 12:2-14-9 mm, and upper tooth row length is 2:8-3-4 mm. External and cranial measurements are from DR Congo specimens. Chromosome number from Ivory Coast identified as the Forest African Dormouse (G. murinus) probably represents this species and has a karyotype of 2n = 70. Females have four pairs of nipples (I pectoral + 1 abdominal + 2 inguinal = 8).
Habitat. Rainforest, Guinea Savanna, northern part of Zambezian Woodland Biotic Zones, and rainforest-savanna mosaics from sea level up to elevations of 2600 m. Lorraine’s African Dormouse is found in gallery forests, forest margins, woodland savanna, and disturbed areas including cassava, banana, oil palm, cocoa, Palmyra palm (Borassus, Arecaceae), pineapple, and pawpaw farms, and occupied and abandoned buildings. In Sierra Leone, these dormice have often been found in African oil palms (Elaeis guineensis) and inhabited human dwellings. In Ivory Coast, the plant Microdesmis (Pandaceae), commonly found in secondary and disturbed forest, was associated with areas where individuals were caught. It has been reported that these dormice inhabit secondary and disturbed forest, as well as human dwellings, and that they were never trapped in primary forest. In south-western Nigeria, F. M. Angelici and L. Luiselli in 2005 captured 18 individuals, identified as “ G. murinus.” Two were captured in primary rainforest, six in secondary rainforest, and five in cultivated areas along margins of secondary forest. Voucher specimens were not collected, and because the Thick-tailed African Dormouse and Lorraine’s African Dormouse externally resemble each other,it is possible that the two examples from primary rainforest represent the Thick-tailed African Dormouse, a species known to inhabit primary forest. In Cameroon, M. Eisentraut in 1963 trapped individuals in montane forest at elevations of 1700-2100 m, but these populations (identified as haedulus) may represent a different species. In north-eastern DR Congo, P. G. B.
Katuala and colleagues in 2005 reported that one individual was collected in the Ituri Forest along a trap line set in primary forest, secondary forest, and fallow land..
Food and Feeding. Lorraine’s African Dormouse is probably omnivorous, consuming arthropods, fruit, nuts, and seeds. In Liberia, Central African Republic, and Zaire, individuals have been caught in banana plantations, where they reportedly ate the fruit.
They have also been caught in areas where Palmyra palm, papaya, Microdesmas, cassava, cocoa, African oil palm, plantain, raffia palm (Raphia), and yam are common. The type specimen label of haedulus (a synonym of G. lorraineus) stated that the individual was “caught in bushes eating seeds of Piper subpeltatum,” a species of pepper (Piperaceae). Four specimens were taken from a nest containing remains of several hundred earwigs and an individual was observed running andjumping after termites, capturing several of them in midair. Lorraine’s African Dormice have been captured with nuts from the African oil palm used for bait.
Breeding. Littersizes of Lorraine’s African Dormice are 2-7 young; 2—4 young or embryos are most often reported. Lactating females are often caught with young. In DR Congo, one adult female was noted on a specimen label to have been found in a nest with three “well-grown” young, indicating that offspring may stay in the nest past weaning. In Ivory Coast, one female was captured with six naked young and another with a litter of seven (months of capture were not recorded). These two litters are the largest recorded for Lorraine’s African Dormouse. In Ghana and Cameroon, pregnant females have been collected in January, March, and July. In Ghana, a lactating female with three placental scars was captured in November.
Activity patterns. Lorraine’s African Dormice are nocturnal. They enter facultative torpor to conserve energy under certain conditions. In 1969, F. Lachiver and F. Petter found that individuals collected from Central African Republic became lethargic when experiencing sudden shifts from high to low ambient temperatures, or when deprived of food at low temperatures. In 1962, Eisentraut was unable to induce torpor in individuals collected from Cameroon.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Lorraine’s African Dormice are predominantly arboreal, semi-terrestrial, and likely predominantly solitary. They are common compared with other species of forest-dwelling African dormice. They are apparently common and widespread in forested areas of Sierra Leone. At Lamto,Ivory Coast, they comprised 0-77% of all muroid and gliroid captures, but in a later survey at the same site, they comprised 7-6% of captures. At Foro, Ivory Coast, they were 2:1% of rodent captures. In southern Nigeria, excluding the two specimens obtained in primary forest discussed above, Lorraine’s African Dormouse comprised 6-7% of all arboreal small mammal captures and 0-69% of all rodent captures. In 2014, they accounted for 1-8% of rodents captured on Mount Oku, Cameroon. In the Ituri Forest, north-eastern DR Congo, out of 1544 rodents collected, only one Lorraine’s African Dormouse was obtained. Nests of Lorraine’s African Dormice have been found in tree cavities in gallery forest and savanna trees near forest, disturbed areas, rocky caves, among epiphytic ferns, within a cocoa pod, and in or near occupied buildings. In Sierra Leone, individuals were caught in spherical nests constructed of pappus according to specimen labels. In Central Africa, R. T. Hatt in 1940 described an unused swallow nest that was occupied by an adult female and young, as well as an active nest of paper wasps; dormice had to crawl upside down on a nearly horizontal stone surface to enter it. In 1963, Eisentraut caught specimens of montane populations in Cameroon in traps set 6-10 m high on large diagonal or horizontal branches near holes in trees; individuals at this locality were never trapped on the ground. This species is said to be aggressive and bite voraciously; one individual observed in captivity moved its tail up and down with hairs spread wide, and when excited, it chattered “gak gak” repeated 4-5 times in succession.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Lorraine’s African Dormouse has an expansive distribution, probably a large population size, likely occurs in several protected areas, seems to tolerate habitat alteration, and is probably not declining fast enough to qualify for inclusion in a more threatened category. Ability to inhabit secondary growth, disturbed areas, and buildings likely indicates that they are less sensitive to habitat modification than species associated with intact forests or undisturbed habitat. Nevertheless, Lorraine’s African Dormouse probably is a complex ofseveral species, and within the complex, certain populations may be at risk or nearly extirpated. For example, if the Cameroon montane population is a valid species, then its habitat is under severe population pressure, overgrazing by cattle and goats, harvesting offirewood, and agriculture; the area also faces increased trapping of large and small mammals for bushmeatto be sold in local markets.
Bibliography. Aellen (1965), Amori & Gippoliti (2002), Angelici & Luiselli (2005), Denys et al. (2014), Dosso (1975), Eisentraut (1962, 1963, 1973, 1975), Genest-Villard (1978), Grubb et al. (1998), Happold & Lock (2013), Hatt (1940), Heim de Balsac (1967), Heim de Balsac & Lamotte (1968), Holden (1996b, 2005, 2013), Holden & Levine (2009), Jeffrey (1973), Katuala et al. (2005), Lachiver & Petter (1969), Robbins & Schlitter (1981), Rosevear (1969), Schlitter & Grubb (2008a), Schlitter et al. (1985), Schouteden (1946), Taylor et al. (2014), Tranier & Dosso (1979), Traoré et al. (1980), Verheyen & Verschuren (1966).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Gliridae, pp. 838-889 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 844, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6604339