Graphiurus christyi Dollman 1914
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 christyi

description: 5.
Christy’s African Dormouse
Graphiurus christyi
French: Loir de Christy / German: Christy-Bilch / Spanish: Liron de Christy
Other common names: Christy's Dormouse
Taxonomy. Graphiurus christyi Dollman, 1914,
Mambaka, DR Congo.
Placed in the subgenus Graphiurus. This species is morphologically similar to some named forms currently synonymized under G. murinus, some of which occur in areas adjacent to this species, such as vulcanicus from the Virunga Mountains. Other named forms are synonymized under G. murinus that occur in adjacent areas are morphologically distinct, such as soleatus, from the Ruwenzori Mountains. As noted by D. A. Schlitter and colleagues in 1985, the Yalosemba, DR Congo, series is larger and differs in certain features from northeastern DR Congo population. In 1996 and 2005, M. E. Holden provided detailed discussion of taxonomy. Monotypic.
Distribution. NE DR Congo, N & E the Congo and Lualaba rivers, and one locality in SW Cameroon (Lolodorf).
Descriptive notes. Head-body 86-107 mm, tail 73-95 mm, ear 12-17 mm, hindfoot 16-20 mm. No information regarding weight or sexual dimorphism has been reported for this species. Dorsal pelage of Christy’s African Dormice is medium brown, rufous, or golden brown, with soft,silky, and moderately thick texture (rump hairs 6-9 mm, guard hairs up to 11 mm). Ventral pelage is gray washed with white, and dorsal and ventral pelage colors are not clearly delineated. Eyes are large, and eye mask is usually conspicuous. Cheeks are usually white. Ears are brown, large, and rounded, and postauricular patches are not present. Hindfeet are white, with dark metatarsal streak. Tail is moderately long, ¢.82% of head-body length, with shorter hairs at the base, 3-5 mm, and longer hairs at the tip, up to 21 mm. Tail color generally matches that of dorsal pelage, and tail tip is not white. Greatest length of skull is 26-7-29-7 mm, zygomatic breadth is 13-3-16-7 mm, and upper tooth row length is 3-3-3 mm. External and cranial measurements listed are based on specimens from DR Congo. Chromosome number is not known. Females have four pairs of nipples (I pectoral + I abdominal + 2 inguinal = 8).
Habitat. Primary tropical lowland and submontane rainforest at elevations of 400-1000 m. Most records of Christy’s African Dormouse are from lowland evergreen and semi-evergreen rainforest that transitions eastward to submontane rainforest as elevation rises toward the Albertine Rift. Those from Cameroon inhabit Atlantic equatorial coastal forest, comprised of predominantly evergreen, multilayered lowland forest, with tall trees and canopy heights reaching up to 60 m.
Food and Feeding. Christy’s African Dormouse probably consumes an energy-rich diet of arthropods, fruit, seeds and nuts, and occasionally small vertebrates.
Breeding. Litter sizes of Christy’s African Dormice are 2-3 young. In January, one female was pregnant with three embryos; also in January, two young with closed eyes were found together in a nest. In September, on two separate occasions, two young with open eyes were found together in nests.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but Christy’s African Dormouse is probably nocturnal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Christy's African Dormice are arboreal and thought to nest in hollow trees. The few existing specimens in museums suggest that it is not common.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Christy’s African Dormouse is found in a region of extensive suitable habitat that does not appear to be immediately threatened; population trend was classified as unknown, due to little information regarding relative abundance, population size, and trends. Based on numbers of museum specimens, Christy’s African Dormouse is not abundant; furthermore,its ability to tolerate modifications of habitat has not been studied. Recent conflicts in neighboring Rwanda, Burundi, and parts of eastern DR Congo have resulted in the influx of many refugees, particularly in the east where Christy's African Dormouse has most often been found. Refugees have cleared large amounts of forest in certain areas for subsistence agriculture and other activities, especially in the eastern sector. Potential threats include large-scale human population movements, logging, and other degradation offorest, especially in north-eastern DR Congo.
Bibliography. CBFP (2005), Debroux et al. (2007), Grubb & Schlitter (2008a), Hatt (1940), Holden (1996b, 2005, 2013), Katuala et al. (2005), Robbins & Schlitter (1981), Schlitter et al. (1985), WWF (2015).
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 842, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6604339