Otomys auratus

Wroughton, 1906

South 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

Authority citation

Wroughton, R.C. 1906-10-01. Notes on the genus Otomys. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (7)18(106):264-278.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51222939

Original name as described

Otomys irroratus auratus

Type material

BMNH:Mamm:1904.3.1.33

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/d45cd13f-2d7a-4ef6-b201-96697887fbf7

Type locality

Vredefort, northern Free State Province, South Africa.

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Zimbabwe · Mozambique · South Africa · Eswatini · Lesotho

Taxonomy notes

split from O. irroratus

Taxonomy notes citation

Engelbrecht, A., Taylor, P. J., Daniels, S. R., & Rambau, R. V. (2011). Cryptic speciation in the southern African vlei rat Otomys irroratus complex: evidence derived from mitochondrial cyt b and niche modelling. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 104(1), 192-206.

IUCN Red List status

Near Threatened

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1003392

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Euryotis typicus

(A. Smith, 1834)

Family

Muridae

Root name

typicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

149

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15968267

Authority publication

South African Quarterly Journal

Name usages

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

Mystromys typicus

(A. Murray, 1866)

Family

Muridae

Root name

typicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

361

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580357

Authority publication

London

Name usages

Murray (1866:361, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580357) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39798)

Otomys irroratus auratus

Wroughton, 1906

Family

Muridae

Root name

auratus

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1904.3.1.33

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/d45cd13f-2d7a-4ef6-b201-96697887fbf7

Authority page

272

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51222939

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Thomas (1918:208, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22103091) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/16473)
  2. Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys irroratus cupreus

Wroughton, 1906

Family

Muridae

Root name

cupreus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1906.4.3.44

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/1e9cce72-a865-4cdc-9a92-df036cb6ffbb

Authority page

273

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51222940

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Roberts (1913:82, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/50439540) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17656)
  2. Thomas (1918:209, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22103092) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/16473)
  3. Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys irroratus coenosus

O. Thomas, 1918

Family

Muridae

Root name

coenosus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1904.4.8.13

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/beca7851-c5d9-48a0-9028-9d6ce743d7f4

Authority page

208

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22103091

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Thomas (1918:208, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22103091) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/16473)
  2. Roberts (1924:70) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/17634)
  3. Shortridge (1934:239) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69309)
  4. Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys irroratus natalensis

A. Roberts, 1929

Family

Muridae

Root name

natalensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 2402

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

111

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

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

Otomys irroratus randensis

A. Roberts, 1929

Family

Muridae

Root name

randensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 1907

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

112

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

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

Otomys cupreus cupreoides

A. Roberts, 1946

Family

Muridae

Root name

cupreoides

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 3612

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

318

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

  1. Roberts (1946:318) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68475)
  2. Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys cupreus

A. Roberts, 1946

Family

Muridae

Root name

cupreus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

318

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

Roberts (1946:318) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68475)

Otomys cupreus cupreus

A. Roberts, 1946

Family

Muridae

Root name

cupreus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

318

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

Roberts (1946:318) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68475)

Otomys irroratus orientalis

A. Roberts, 1946

Family

Muridae

Root name

orientalis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

TM 6197

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

318

Authority publication

Annals of the Transvaal Museum

Name usages

  1. Roberts (1946:318) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68475)
  2. Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Otomys auratus

D. E. Wilson, Mittermeier, & Lacher, 2017

Family

Muridae

Root name

auratus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

745

Authority publication

Barcelona

Name usages

  1. Wilson, Mittermeier & Lacher (2017:745) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/57900)
  2. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #100000671) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  3. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #100000671) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  4. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1003392) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  5. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/110662638/110662647) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

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