Mount Oku rat

The Mount Oku rat (Lamottemys okuensis) is a medium-sized rodent of the family Muridae and the only species in the genus Lamottemys. It is known only from the forested slopes of Mount Oku in Cameroon, at altitudes of roughly 2,100 to 3,000 metres, where it lives among thorn-bushes, dense undergrowth and rough vegetation. Adults reach a head-and-body length of about 126 millimetres. The dorsal fur is glossy, soft and dark brownish-black tinged with russet, the underparts are yellowish-grey, and the scaly tail is about as long as the body. Its total area of occupancy is only about 500 square kilometres, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature rates it endangered because the forest is being degraded and cleared for agriculture. Local villagers also hunt it for food.