Species
Stenocephalemys sokolovi
Description
Stenocephalemys sokolovi Lavrenchenko & Bryja, 2020
Stenocephalemys griseicauda, part. (Yalden et al. 1976)
Stenocephalemys “pseudogriseicauda” (Bryja et al. 2018, 2019a)
Type locality: The vicinity of the Debre Sina (09°49′37′′ N; 39°44′07′′ E; 3233 m a.s.l.), Ethiopia.
Taxonomic notes: Recently described in Mizerovská et al. (2020). A medium-sized representative of the genus, similar in skull size and shape to S. ruppi, but with a relatively shorter tail (98.7% vs. 113.4% on average), broad and angular zygomatic arches, and distinctive karyotype (2n = 52, NFa = 52). Our previous report of the karyotype formula of the species (Bryja et al. 2018) was erroneous because of the poor quality of chromosome slides (for details see Bulatova et al. 2020). The species can be also diagnosed by DNA sequences, where it forms distinctive clades at both nuclear (Bryja et al. 2018) and mitochondrial markers. At the latter, it is a sister group of S. griseicauda. The only exception is the population in Borena Saynt NP, where S. sokolovi possess recently introgressed mtDNA of (S. albipes).
The distribution of S. sokolovi is separated from that of morphologically similar species either by the Blue Nile valley and its tributaries (S. zimai) or by the Great Rift Valley (S. griseicauda).The species has been found in four regions: the vicinities of Debre Sina, Ankober area, Guwassa area and Borena Saynt NP in altitudes between 3200 and 3500 m a.s.l. In Guwassa, the species lives in a mosaic of Afro-alpine habitats (Helichrysum, Alchemilla) with Erica shrubs, in sympatry/micro-allopatry with S. albocaudatus. Our preliminary data suggest that both species differ in their preferred microhabitats, with S. sokolovi living in more closed Erica growths. In Borena Saynt NP the species lives in the highest Afro-alpine habitats as well as in the Erica belt in lower elevation. The population density can be high (e.g. captured individuals in ca. 40% of set traps in Ankober) and it can be an important agricultural pest (we observed damaged crops, close to Erica shrubs, in Ankober).
Taxonomy
Stenocephalemys sokolovi is a species. It belogs to the Muridae family.
