Tachyoryctes splendens

(Rüppell, 1836)

African Root Rat

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Euarchontoglires
Order : Rodentia
Suborder : Supramyomorpha
Infraorder : Myomorphi
Superfamily : Muroidea
Family : Spalacidae
Subfamily : Rhizomyinae
Tribe : Tachyoryctini
Genus : Tachyoryctes

Species status

Living
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Rüppell, E. 1836. Lieferung 7. Pp. 17–36 in Rüppell, E. 1835-1840. Neue Wirbelthiere zu der Fauna von Abyssinien gehörig. Säugethiere. Siegmund Schmerber, Frankfurt am Main, 40 pp.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37140018

Original name as described

Bathyergus splendens

Other common names

East African Mole-rat · Ankole African Mole-rat · Mianzini African Mole-rat · Aberdare Mountains African Mole-rat · Demon African Mole-rat · Kenyan African Mole-rat · Navivasha African Mole-rat · King African Mole-rat · Rwanda African Mole-rat · Rudd's African Mole-rat · Embi African Mole-Rat · Northeast African Mole-rat · Storey's African Mole-rat

Type material

SMF:MAMM:4317

Type kind

lectotype

Type locality

Gondar, Dembea Province, Ethiopia.

Biogeographic realm

Afrotropic

Country distribution

Ethiopia · Somalia · Uganda · Kenya · Democratic Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · Burundi · Tanzania

Taxonomy notes

includes ankoliae, annectens, audax, daemon, ibeanus, naivashae, rex, ruandae, ruddi, spalacinus, and storeyi; however, this arrangement is relatively tentative as T. splendens surely represents a species complex

Taxonomy notes citation

Jarvis, J. U. M. 2013. Tachyoryctes splendens African Root-rat. In: Happold M. and Happold D.C.D. (eds), Mammals of Africa: Volume IV, pp. 151-152. Bloomsbury Publishing, London · Šumbera, R., Krásová, J., Lavrenchenko, L. A., Mengistu, S., Bekele, A., Mikula, O., & Bryja, J. (2018). Ethiopian highlands as a cradle of the African fossorial root-rats (genus Tachyoryctes), the genetic evidence. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 126, 105-115.

IUCN Red List status

Least Concern

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1003792

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.

Tachyoryctes dæmon

O. Thomas, 1909

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

daemon

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1889.3.8.5

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/ee039496-b1e4-4a61-a482-d38ca75f629d

Authority page

545

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22097926

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes splendens ibeanus

O. Thomas, 1900

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

ibeanus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1898.1.5.9

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/c8d3e138-9ada-42f2-a044-64d7c88722f0

Authority page

179

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/35994423

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Name usages

Allen (1909:167) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/16003)

Tachyoryctes splendens somalicus

Osgood, 1910

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

somalicus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1898.6.9.11

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/5c867e09-8c43-4742-99de-f94b4213d851

Authority page

276

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16094701

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes spalacinus

O. Thomas, 1909

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

spalacinus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1900.6.1.41

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

547

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22097928

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes ruddi badius

O. Thomas, 1909

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

badius

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1903.3.7.4

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/a7184b81-2c2d-482e-94d9-42eefbfd4436

Authority page

546

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22097927

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes storeyi

O. Thomas, 1909

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

storeyi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1904.2.1.3

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

547

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22097928

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes ankoliæ

O. Thomas, 1909

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

ankoliae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1904.2.6.25

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/8e430173-8996-4412-9acf-19952fb40795

Authority page

545

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22097926

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes naivashæ

O. Thomas, 1909

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

naivashae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1908.2.6.1

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/5b803c3c-ab89-46a5-aa95-11b4e255e677

Authority page

547

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22097928

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes ruddi

O. Thomas, 1909

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

ruddi

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1910.4.1.230

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/62157d0a-a240-4825-b471-3ff59d82abef

Authority page

547

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/22097928

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes cheesmani

O. Thomas, 1928

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

cheesmani

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1928.1.11.158

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/2f3ca3b1-5d0e-4930-b6fb-e32f0a33f919

Authority page

302

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes cheesemani gallarum

Osgood, 1936

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

gallarum

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

FMNH:Mamm:28808

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/fmnh/mammals?id=1dca9ef0-ff8e-4377-bbd8-b96f4faf05b1

Authority page

233

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2778327

Authority publication

Field Museum of Natural History, Zoological Series

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes splendens canicaudus

Osgood, 1936

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

canicaudus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

FMNH:Mamm:28822

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://portal.vertnet.org/o/fmnh/mammals?id=21880512-7ff4-4f93-abfd-9b999ab12676

Authority page

232

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2778326

Authority publication

Field Museum of Natural History, Zoological Series

Name usages

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

Bathyergus splendens

(Rüppell, 1836)

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

splendens

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

SMF:MAMM:4317

Type kind

lectotype

Authority page

36

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37140018

Authority publication

Frankfurt am Main

Tachyoryctes rex

E. Heller, 1910

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

rex

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:163088

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3f4a34a72-4fd8-435a-95c1-485698315326

Authority page

4

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8813194

Authority publication

Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes audax

O. Thomas, 1910

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

audax

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type kind

holotype

Authority page

421

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/16094854

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

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

Orycterus splendens

(Lesson, 1842)

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

splendens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

122

Authority publication

Paris

Name usages

Lesson (1842:122) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/36812)

Rhizomys splendens

(Matschie, 1895)

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

splendens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

57

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14835450

Authority publication

Berlin

Name usages

Matschie (1895:57, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14835450) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67260)

Tachyoryctes splendens

J. A. Allen, 1909

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

splendens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

167

Authority publication

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Allen (1909:167) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/16003)
  2. Corbet & Hill (1980:159) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  3. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:478) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  4. Musser & Carleton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)
  5. O'Brien, Menninger & Nash (2006:224) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/7321)
  6. Happold (2013:151) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/27625)
  7. Wilson, Mittermeier & Lacher (2017:136) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/57900)
  8. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #21299) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  9. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #21299) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  10. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1003792) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  11. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/21299/22275532) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)

Tachyoryctes annectens

Musser & Carleton, 2005

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

annectens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes ibeanus

Musser & Carleton, 2005

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

ibeanus

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

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

omensis

Musser & Carleton, 2005

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

omensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

incorrectsubsequentspelling

Authority page

925

Authority publication

Baltimore

Name usages

Musser & Carleton (2005:925) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8562)

Rhizomys annectens

(O. Thomas, 1891)

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

annectens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

304

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/19243240

Authority publication

Annals and Magazine of Natural History

Tachyoryctes ruandae

Lönnberg & Gyldenstolpe, 1925

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

ruandae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

6

Authority publication

Arkiv för Zoologi

Name usages

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

Tachyoryctes splendens omoensis

O. R. Neumann & Rümmler, 1928

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

omoensis

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

297

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45342586

Authority publication

Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde

Tachyoryctes pontifex

O. R. Neumann & Rümmler, 1928

Family

Spalacidae

Root name

pontifex

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

300

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45342589

Authority publication

Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde

Name usages

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

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