NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Namaqua Micaelamys
Micaelamys namaquensis (A. Smith, 1834)
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
“A Namaqua rock mouse (Aethomys namaquensis, Muridae) getting dusted with pollen of the Pagoda Lily (Whiteheadia bifolia, Hyacinthaceae) while lapping nectar at the flowers.”
Petra Wester · CC BY 4.0 · Image sourceProvider-generated thumbnail requested at 800 pixels; no local editing Local WebP display rendition; resized without cropping.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Namaqua rock rat (Micaelamys namaquensis) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is sometimes included in the genus Aethomys.
It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Its natural habitats are temperate forest, dry savanna, temperate shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, temperate grassland, rocky areas, hot desert, temperate desert, rocky shores, arable land, rural gardens, and urban areas.
Parasites include the chigger species: Afropolonia tgifi, Gahrliepia nana, Acomatacarus thallomyia, Hyracarus lawrencei, Herpetacarus aethomys, Herpetacarus longispinus, and Zumptrombicula misonnei.
Wikipedia contributors, Namaqua rock rat; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T06:56:19.828430+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Micaelamys namaquensis (A. Smith, 1834)
- Name authority
- (A. Smith, 1834)
- Common name
- Namaqua Micaelamys
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Rodentia
- Family
- Muridae
- Genus
- Micaelamys
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
- subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
- infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
- orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
- suborderMyomorpha Brandt, 1855
- superfamilyMuroidea Illiger, 1811
- familyMuridae Illiger, 1811
- subfamilyMurinae Illiger, 1811
- genusMicaelamys Ellerman, 1941
- speciesMicaelamys namaquensis (A. Smith, 1834)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Micaelamys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Grant's MicaelamysMicaelamys granti (Wroughton, 1908) | MuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Mus avarillus Thomas & Wroughton, 1908 Thomas & Wroughton, 1908 | synonym |
| Mus auricomis centralis Schwann, 1906 Schwann, 1906 | synonym |
| Praomys namaquensis capensis Roberts, 1926 Roberts, 1926 | synonym |
| Praomys namaquensis lechochloides Roberts, 1926 Roberts, 1926 | synonym |
| Aethomys namaquensis calarius Thomas, 1926 Thomas, 1926 | synonym |
| Aethomys namaquensis namibensis Roberts, 1946 Roberts, 1946 | synonym |
| Aethomys namaquensis waterbergensis Roberts, 1946 Roberts, 1946 | synonym |
| Mus arborarius Peters, 1852 Peters, 1852 | ambiguous synonym |
| Mus auricomis de Winton, 1897 de Winton, 1897 | synonym |
| Mus lehocla A. Smith, 1836 A. Smith, 1836 | synonym |
| Mus namaquensis monticularis Jameson, 1909 Jameson, 1909 | synonym |
| Praomys namaquensis klaverensis Roberts, 1926 Roberts, 1926 | synonym |
| Aethomys namaquensis (A. Smith, 1834) (A. Smith, 1834) | synonym |
| Aethomys namaquensis siccatus Thomas, 1926 Thomas, 1926 | synonym |
| Praomys namaquensis drakensbergi Roberts, 1926 Roberts, 1926 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=970854 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:42LN4. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.