Thomas's vlei rat
Species of rodent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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]
| Thomas's vlei rat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Otomys |
| Species: | O. thomasi |
| Binomial name | |
| Otomys thomasi | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Otomys typus ssp. thomasi Bohmann 1952 | |
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]
