Togo mouse facts for kids
The Togo mouse (also called Büttner's African forest mouse or the Groove-toothed forest mouse, Leimacomys buettneri) is a very special type of rodent. It is known from only two examples ever found. These two mice were collected way back in 1890 near a place called Bismarckburg, close to Yege, in the country of Togo.
Quick facts for kids Groove-toothed forest mouse |
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Leimacomyinae
Musser, Carleton, 2005
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Leimacomys
Matschie, 1893
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| Leimacomys buettneri |
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Contents
What Does the Togo Mouse Look Like?
Scientists only have a few parts of these two mice to study. They have one dry skin, one animal preserved in liquid, and a skull and a jawbone. These parts are kept safe at the Zoologisches Museum of Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.
Size and Appearance
The Togo mouse is about 118 millimeters (about 4.6 inches) long from its head to its body. Its tail is quite short, only 37 millimeters (about 1.4 inches) long. This short tail is a key feature that helps scientists identify it.
The mouse's fur is dark to grey-brown on its back. Its belly is a lighter pale grey-brown. It has small, hairy ears and somewhat hairy feet. Its tail might be bare or have a few hairs.
Special Teeth
The front teeth, called incisors, have shallow grooves on them. The mouse also has a long, wide snout and a broad area between its eyes. Its cheekbone area, called the zygomatic plate, is quite large.
What Do We Know About Its Life?
Scientists believe the Togo mouse mainly eats insects. This is because of the shape of its skull and teeth. Animals that eat insects are called insectivores.
Very little is known about how this unusual mouse lives its life in the wild. Scientists hope to learn more if they can find more of them.
How Scientists Classify the Togo Mouse
The Togo mouse has been a puzzle for scientists trying to classify it. For a long time, it was moved between different groups of rodents. It seemed to look a bit like another mouse called Lophuromys. However, scientists now think this similarity is just a coincidence. It's like two different animals evolving similar features because they live in similar ways or eat similar foods. This is called convergent evolution.
A New Family Group
Because the Togo mouse is so unique, scientists decided to create a brand new group just for it. This new group is called the Leimacomyinae subfamily. They placed it within the larger Muridae family, which includes many types of mice and rats.
Scientists still want to do more studies to be absolutely sure where the Togo mouse fits in the animal family tree.
Is the Togo Mouse Still Alive?
The Togo mouse is considered to be either in great danger of disappearing forever, or it might already be extinct. This means it might be gone from Earth.
Some scientists thought it was extinct because they couldn't find it again in the area where it was first discovered. However, others believe that the searches weren't thorough enough. They point out that it's very hard to catch insect-eating rodents.
The IUCN currently lists the Togo mouse as "data deficient." This means there isn't enough information to know for sure if it's still around or how many might be left. More intense searches in the high-elevation forests of Togo and nearby Ghana are needed to find out if this mysterious mouse still exists.
