New rodent species were discovered in the Ethiopian mountains by an international team led by Josef Bryja from the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The plateaus they explored have an inhospitable environment, yet many animals can be found there.
Among them, in positions above three and a half thousand meters, there are also newly discovered rodents of the genus Stenocephalemys. Currently, three alpine species are described, two of which – Stenocephalemys zimai a Stenocephalemys sokolovi – they were added thanks to the team of Josef Bryja.
“On several peaks in central Ethiopia and then again on about four others, we found isolated islands of these mouse rodents, always at the very top of the hill,” says Bryja.
“There is still a related species still living in the south of the Bale Mountains, but we do not expect more such places in Ethiopia – there are no other similar sites,” he added. Mouse animals are very rare.
It differs from other mice by the specific shape of the skull, which is narrow and elongated. Some members of this genus have eyes very close to each other, which provides them with protection from predators that attack from above (typically birds).
Both new species can be of great importance to humans, as they are carriers of hentaviruses. This year, antibodies against these viruses have also been discovered in humans. Hentaviruses cause various diseases in humans, some of which can be fatal. Most often, a person can become infected by inhaling the sprayed feces of small rodents.
“The occurrence of various species of rodents, vectors of dangerous viruses, is relatively well known in Europe, while Africa lags far behind our continent. We do not yet know all the species of host mammals there and know almost nothing about their pathogens,” Bryja warns.
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