Otomys tropicalis

O. Thomas, 1902

East African Vlei Rat

Taxonomy

Subclass: Theria
Infraclass: Placentalia
Magnorder: Boreoeutheria
Superorder: Euarchontoglires
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Supramyomorpha
Infraorder: Myomorphi
Superfamily: Muroidea
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Murinae
Tribe: Otomyini
Genus: Otomys

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Thomas, O. 1902-10-01. On some new forms of Otomys. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (7)10(58):311-314.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/19339119

Original name as described

Otomys irroratus tropicalis

Other common names

Tropical Vlei Rat

Type material

BMNH:Mamm:1900.2.1.20

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/03cb2eb7-d8e4-44cc-926f-9269806b9ecd

Type locality

west slope of Mt Kenya, 10, 000 ft (= 3000 m), Kenya.

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Burundi · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Kenya · Rwanda · South Sudan · Uganda · Tanzania?

Taxonomy notes

elgonis likely represents a distinct species, although this needs confirmation with samples from the type locality of elgonis

Taxonomy notes citation

Mulualem, G., Taylor, P.J., Kerbis Peterhans, J.C., Demos, T.C. and Bryja, J. 2026. Phylogenomics of the African laminate-toothed rats (Rodentia, Muridae, Otomys) in the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot: three colonisation waves followed by allopatric diversification on sky islands. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 223:108668. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2026.108668

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1003413

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Known distribution is shown in green and predicted distribution is in yellow.Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

KnownPredicted distribution

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details.

Total: 13 names and synonyms.

Otomys irroratus tropicalis

O. Thomas, 1902

Family

Muridae

Root name

tropicalis

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1900.2.1.20

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

Eastern Tropical Africa, from British East Africa to Nyasaland. Typical locality, western slope of Mt. Kenya, British East Africa. Altitude 10, 000 feet.

Type locality

Kenya.

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/03cb2eb7-d8e4-44cc-926f-9269806b9ecd

Authority page

314

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/19339119

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

Trouessart (1904:361, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53423242) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59289)
Osgood (1910:9, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4462396) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/10092)

Otomys irroratus elgonis

Wroughton, 1910

Family

Muridae

Root name

elgonis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1910.4.1.78

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

Elgonyi, ELgon, B. E. Africa. Alt. 7000 feet.

Type locality

Kenya: 0°58′N, 34°40′E.

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/53063445-74bf-4c7d-aa30-aab967931693

Authority page

207

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/63236606

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys tropicalis:

Berger, 1910

Family

Muridae

Root name

tropicalis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

337

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43615788

Authority publication

Sitzungsberichte der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin

Name usages

Berger (1910:337, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43615788) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67836)
Granvik (1924:24) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68174)
Lönnberg & Gyldenstolpe (1925:2) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69123)
Hatt (1934:1) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9595)
Allen (1939:347, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)
Corbet & Hill (1980:159) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
Corbet & Hill (1991:167) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63070)
Musser & Carleton (1993:681) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63347)
Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)
Happold (2013:591) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/27625)
Monadjem, Taylor, Denys & Cotterill (2015:911) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/58104)
Wilson, Mittermeier & Lacher (2017:744) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/57900)
Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #15660) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #15660) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1003413) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15660/22396423) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Otomys tropicalis nubilus

Dollman, 1915

Family

Muridae

Root name

nubilus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1911.12.2.4

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

Jombeni (Igembi) Range, N.E. of Mt. Kenya. Altitude 6000 feet.

Type locality

Kenya.

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/ff5e081f-86b5-47ba-9613-78ae16c7e4b0

Authority page

160

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15612874

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

Allen (1939:347, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)
Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys rubeculus

Dollman, 1915

Family

Muridae

Root name

rubeculus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1911.12.3.87

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

Kagambah, Uganda. Altitude 4800 feet.

Type locality

Uganda.

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/f01929f3-7d99-47ad-ab6b-510cb015b003

Authority page

161

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15612875

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

Allen (1939:346, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782243) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)
Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys tropicalis vivax

Dollman, 1915

Family

Muridae

Root name

vivax

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1912.7.1.425

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

Mt. Nyiro, south of Lake Rudolf, East Africa. Altitude 8000 feet.

Type locality

Kenya.

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/59368f14-0666-4bb2-8c2e-96134b16b95c

Authority page

159

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15612873

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

Allen (1939:347, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)
Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys tropicalis elgonis:

Granvik, 1924

Family

Muridae

Root name

elgonis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

24

Authority publication

Lunds Universitets Årsskrift

Name usages

Granvik (1924:24) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68174)
Lönnberg & Gyldenstolpe (1925:3) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69123)
Allen (1939:347, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)

Otomys tropicalis ghigii

De Beaux, 1924

Family

Muridae

Root name

ghigii

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

MSNG 18016

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

Is. Bugala

Type locality

Uganda.

Authority page

213

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33394937

Authority publication

Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria

Name usages

Allen (1939:347, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)
Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys tropicalis tropicalis:

Lönnberg & Gyldenstolpe, 1925

Family

Muridae

Root name

tropicalis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

3

Authority publication

Arkiv för Zoologi

Name usages

Lönnberg & Gyldenstolpe (1925:3) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69123)
Allen (1939:347, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)

Otomys tropicalis vulcanicus

Lönnberg & Gyldenstolpe, 1925

Family

Muridae

Root name

vulcanicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

NHRM (number not known)

Type kind

holotype

Original type locality

Mt. Sabinio, Birunga Volcanoes. Alt. 2, 600 m.

Type locality

Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Authority page

2

Authority publication

Arkiv för Zoologi

Name usages

Lönnberg & Gyldenstolpe (1925:2) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69123)
Allen (1939:347, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2782244) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/5450)

3 more names and synonyms available — use the desktop version to see them all.

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