Oenomys

Oenomys
Temporal range: Late Pliocene to Recent
Oenomys hypoxanthus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Tribe: Arvicanthini
Genus: Oenomys
Thomas, 1904
Type species
Mus hypoxanthus
Species

See text

Oenomys is a genus of African rodents known as rufous-nosed rats.[1] They occur from south-east Guinea and Ghana through the Congo forest to Uganda and Kenya.[2] The nose is reddish, or at least the cheeks, which suggested both the English and scientific names (oeno- means "wine" and -mys denotes a mouselike animal in Greek).[3][4]

The two recognised, living species occupy separate geographical ranges:

References

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  1. ^ "Oenomys - rufous-nosed rats". Animal Diversity Web. University of Michigan. Archived from the original on 14 December 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  2. ^ Renaud, Sabrina (1999). "Size and shape variability in relation to species differences and climatic gradients in the African rodent Oenomys". Journal of Biogeography. 26 (4): 857–865. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2699.1999.00327.x. ISSN 1365-2699.
  3. ^ "Definition of OENO-". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  4. ^ "Definition of -MYS". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  5. ^ Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig. (1950). Bonner zoologische Beiträge : Herausgeber: Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn (Vol. 19, p. 8). Das Forschungsinstitut. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44746670
  6. ^ Sabatier M., 1982. Les rongeurs du site Pliocène à Hominidés de Hadar (Ethiope). Palaeovertebrata 12 (1): 1-56.