Rodents are very familiar to people because of the mice and rats that live around human habitation. Many of the rodents found in the Eastern Arc forests are quite different, however. There is a particular group of mice and rats that live in most, if not all of the Eastern Arc mountain forests,but are restricted to the higher elevations. Unlike the shrews of the Eastern Arc, there do not seem to be unique rodents that occur on specific Eastern Arc mountains. Praomys delectorum – East African Soft-furred Rat One of the most common rodents in Eastern Arc forests, Praomys is distinguished by its soft brown fur, long tail and dirty white underbelly. It is often confused with Hylomyscus, but has a longer snout and dark soles of the hind feet (which are longer) and no small tuft of hairs on the tip of the tail. Praomys delectorum is found mainly on the ground and is very rarely arboreal in Eastern Arc forests. These rodents eat seeds, vegetation and insects. Hylomyscus denniae - East African Montane Wood Mouse While not as common as Praomys, Hylomyscus is frequently found in Eastern Arc forests. It is often confused with Praomys, but has a shorter snout, pale soles of the hind feet (which are shorter) and a small tuft of hairs on the tip of the tail. This mouse is arboreal and makes use of vines, limbs and even the smallest branches of trees and bushes. The diet is similar to that of Praomys. Grammomys - Thicket Rats These beautiful rodents are characterized by their long tufted tails, pure white bellies, and orange or light red dorsal fur. They are not as common as Praomys or Hylomyscus in Eastern Arc forests. Although the definition of the species within the genus is not clear, there are three species that are currently thought to occur in Eastern Arc forests: Grammomys dolichurus, Grammomys ibeanus, and Grammomys macmillani. The thicket rats are good climbers and are primarily vegetarians although they will also eat insects. Lophuromys flavopunctatus – Eastern Brush-furred Rat Lophuromys is a very distinctive rodent with a deep red dorsal fur and orange belly. The fur is rigid and not soft and the tail is often broken and in the form of a stub. In many Eastern Arc forests, Lophuromys is the most common rodent. The main diet is insects, but these rats will eat vertebrates, carrion and vegetable matter. They are strictly terrestrial. Beamys hindei – Lesser Pouched Rat Beamys is identified by the gray fur, white belly and distinctive mottled tail that is white on the tip. It is a relative of the larger pouch-cheeked rat, Cricetomys. There is the possibility that two species occur in the Eastern Arc Mountains: Beamys hindei and Beamys major, and further research is needed to investigate this. These rodents are decent climbers and feed on seeds and fruit that they carry in the pouches in their cheeks.
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