The montane African climbing mouse or remarkable climbing mouse (Dendromus insignis ) is a species of rodent in the family Nesomyidae. It is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
Seed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
M
starts withThe montane African climbing mice have short, soft brown to reddish-brown pelage with a dark stripe down the middle of their backs and dark gray or grayish underparts. They have tails that can equal up to 133% of their head and body length, which taper and are covered in scales and short hair.
Montane African climbing mice have a typical mymorphous zygomatic arch with a narrow infraorbital foramen, due to the prominence of the lower anterior-positioned masseter muscles—resulting in only three molars in a row and grooved upper incisors.
The hind limbs of the montane African climbing mouse are elongated, with hind feet highly specialized for climbing. D. insignis have a reduced inner proximal foot pad, and a reduced first digit with a nail.
The montane African climbing mouse is one of the largest species of the genus Dendromus, with head and body length ranges from 76 mm to 90 mm and weigh from 7-20 g, up to 20% larger than other Dendromus species. Additionally, their head is relatively large compared to other genera of rodents, making up about 27% of their head and body length and resulting in longer molar rows.
Its home range of extends through mountainous areas but they generally dwell in heath and alpine zones. They have been documented across a wide range of high altitude locales, including elevations as high as 4240 m. Below 2000 m, grassland meets the montane forest, and D. insignis is less commonly found, as easy-to-climb dense vegetation is reduced.