Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse
Rhabdomys pumilio
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassMammalia (Mamífers)
- OrderRodentia (Rosegadors)
- FamilyMuridae (Old World Mice and Rats)
- GenusRhabdomys (Four-striped mice)
- SpeciesRhabdomys pumilio (Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse)
The four-striped grass mouse (Rhabdomys pumilio) or four-striped grass rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found throughout the southern half of Africa up to 2,300 metres (7,500 ft) above sea level, extending as far north as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its has many natural habitats such as savannas, shrublands, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, hot deserts, arable land, rural gardens, and urban areas. The presence of grass is the only essential component of its habitat. The four stripes running down its back, along with its red-brown ears, are its most distinct characteristics. Diet consists largely of seeds and plants, and occasionally insects. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 35 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Black-tailed Tree Rat
Thallomys nigricauda
Hairy-footed Gerbil
Gerbillurus paeba
Bushveld Gerbil
Gerbilliscus leucogaster
Brants's Whistling Rat
Parotomys brantsii
Littledale's Whistling Rat
Parotomys littledalei
Cape Ground Squirrel
Xerus inauris
Dassie Rat
Petromus typicus
Cape Porcupine
Hystrix africaeaustralis
Damara Ground Squirrel
Xerus princeps
Gerbil Mouse
Malacothrix typica
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 4 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 15% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 35 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.