Species
Arvicanthis raffertyi
Description
Arvicanthis raffertyi Frick, 1914
This is genetically the most distinct Arvicanthis in Ethiopia, sister to A. ansorgei from western Africa (Bryja et al. 2019). Despite this fact, it has been overlooked and not recognized as a separate species. Compared to all other Ethiopian taxa it has a very distinct karyotype called ANI-6 or ANI-6a (Orlov et al. 1992, Corti et al. 2005, Castiglia et al. 2006). It is very likely an Ethiopian endemic species (even though its occurrence in northern Kenya, South Sudan and Somalia cannot currently be ruled out) with two genetic (mitochondrial) sublineages distributed in parapatry (north vs. south). The species lives at lower elevations along mountain escarpments and in the Rift Valley. Part of the material reported by Yalden et al. (1976) as A. abyssinicus or A. dembeensis very probably belongs to this species (ditto for GBIF – see maps for A. abyssinicus and A. niloticus). The taxonomic relationships with the populations in Gambella (ANI-7 karyotype) and Afgoi, Somalia (ANI-8 karyotype) should be further analysed (Castiglia et al. 2006, Bryja et al. 2019).
Taxonomy
Arvicanthis raffertyi is a species. It belogs to the Muridae family.
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