# Natal multimammate mouse

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Species of mammal

Natal multimammate mouse Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1) Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Placentalia Order: Rodentia Family: Muridae Genus: Mastomys Species: M. natalensis Binomial name Mastomys natalensis Smith, 1834 Synonyms Mastomys hildebrandtii (Peters, 1878) Myomys fumatus (Peters, 1878)

The **Natal multimammate mouse** (***Mastomys natalensis***) is a species of [rodent](/source/Rodent) in the family [Muridae](/source/Muridae). It is also known as the **Natal multimammate rat**, the common [African](/source/Africa) rat, **African soft fur rat** or the **African soft-furred mouse**.[1] The Natal multimammate rat is the natural host of the [Lassa fever virus](/source/Lassa_fever_virus).

## Range

It is found in [Africa south of the Sahara](/source/Sub-Saharan_Africa). Six different genetic groups can be distinguished in different regions: one in western Africa, one in central Africa, one in southern Africa and three in eastern Africa.[2]

*Mastomys natalensis* is commonly known as the “multimammate rat” due to the female’s multiple and prominent mammary glands

## Habitat

Its natural [habitats](/source/Habitat) include [subtropical or tropical dry forest](/source/Subtropical_or_tropical_dry_forest), [subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest](/source/Subtropical_or_tropical_moist_lowland_forest), dry [savanna](/source/Savanna), moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry [shrubland](/source/Shrubland), [subtropical or tropical moist shrubland](/source/Subtropical_or_tropical_moist_shrubland), [arable land](/source/Arable_land), pastureland, rural gardens, [urban areas](/source/Urban_area), irrigated land, and seasonally flooded agricultural land.

These rats are closely associated with humans, and are commonly found in and around African villages.

## Interactions with humans

The species has been used as a [laboratory animal](/source/Laboratory_animal) since 1939. It has great value for researchers studying stomach cancer and spontaneous tumors. It is also the most important reservoir of the [Lassa fever virus](/source/Lassa_fever_virus).[3] It is also bred domestically as food for various pet snake species such as [ball pythons](/source/Ball_pythons) and [boa constrictors](/source/Boa_constrictors). [4] Additionally, it is occasionally kept as a pet. [5]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Multimammate Mice"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090207142116/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jean.wright93/mm/mm.htm). Archived from [the original](http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jean.wright93/mm/mm.htm) on 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-07-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Colangelo, Paolo (2013). ["A mitochondrial phylogeographic scenario for the most widespread African rodent, Mastomys natalensis"](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fbij.12013). *Biological Journal of the Linnean Society*. **108** (4): 901–916. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/bij.12013](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fbij.12013).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Clive Roots; *Domestication* - page: 115

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** D'Avignon, Nicole (February 17, 2022). ["Diversifying Snake Diets"](https://bewildnc.org/diversifying-snake-diets). *bewildnc*. Retrieved 12 April 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Murray, Janet (August 31, 2022). ["African Soft Fur Rats: Do They Make Good Pets?"](https://a-z-animals.com/blog/african-soft-fur-rats-do-they-make-good-pets/). *AZ Animals*. Retrieved 12 April 2025.

## External links

- Granjon, L., Lavrenchenko, L., Corti, M., Coetzee, N. & Rahman, E.A. 2004. [Mastomys natalensis](http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/12868/all). [2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.](http://www.iucnredlist.org) Downloaded on 9 July 2007.

- [Musser, G. G.](/source/Guy_Musser); Carleton, M. D. (2005). ["Superfamily Muroidea"](http://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=13001472). In [Wilson, D. E.](/source/Don_E._Wilson); Reeder, D. M. (eds.). [*Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference*](http://www.google.com/books?id=JgAMbNSt8ikC&pg=PA1365) (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1365. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-8018-8221-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8018-8221-0). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [62265494](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/62265494).

- Tofts, Russell. [Multimammate Mice](https://web.archive.org/web/20090207142116/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jean.wright93/mm/mm.htm). Retrieved July 14, 2009.

v t e Extant species of subfamily Murinae (Stenocephalomys–Xeromys) Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordate Class: Mammalia Superorder: Euarchontoglires Order: Rodentia Family: Muridae Stenocephalomys Division Congomys Lukolela swamp rat (C. lukolelae) Verschuren's swamp rat (C. verschureni) Heimyscus African smoky mouse (H. fumosus) Hylomyscus (African wood mice) H. aeta group: Beaded wood mouse (H. aeta) Mount Oku hylomyscus (H. grandis) H. alleni group: Allen's wood mouse (H. alleni) Angolan wood mouse (H. carillus) Hylomyscus pamfi Stella wood mouse (H. stella) Walter Verheyeni's mouse (H. walterverheyeni) H. anselli group: Ansell's wood mouse (H. anselli) Arc Mountain wood mouse (H. arcimontensis) Kerbis Peterhans's wood mouse (H. kerbispeterhansi) H. baeri group: Baer's wood mouse (H. baeri) H. denniae group: Montane wood mouse (H. denniae) H. endorobae H. vulcanorum H. parvus group: Little wood mouse (H. parvus) Mastomys (Multimammate rats) Angolan multimammate mouse (M. angolensis) Awash multimammate mouse (M. awashensis) Southern multimammate mouse (M. coucha) Guinea multimammate mouse (M. erythroleucus) Hubert's multimammate mouse (M. huberti) Verheyen's multimammate mouse (M. kollmannspergeri) Natal multimammate mouse (M. natalensis) Shortridge's multimammate mouse (M. shortridgei) Montemys Delectable soft-furred mouse (M. delectorum) Myomyscus (Multimammate rats) Verreaux's mouse (M. verreauxii) Ochromyscus Brockman's rock mouse (O. brockmani) Yemeni mouse (O. yemeni) Praomys (African soft-furred rats) P. coetzeei Dalton's mouse (P. daltoni) De Graaff's soft-furred mouse (P. degraaffi) Deroo's mouse (P. derooi) Hartwig's soft-furred mouse (P. hartwigi) Jackson's soft-furred mouse (P. jacksoni) Least soft-furred mouse (P. minor) Misonne's soft-furred mouse (P. misonnei) Cameroon soft-furred mouse (P. morio) Muton's soft-furred mouse (P. mutoni) Gotel Mountain soft-furred mouse (P. obscurus) Petter's soft-furred mouse (P. petteri) Forest soft-furred mouse (P. rostratus) Tullberg's soft-furred mouse (P. tullbergi) Serengetimys Dwarf multimammate mouse (S. pernanus) Stenocephalemys (Ethiopian narrow-headed rats) Ethiopian white-footed mouse (S. albipes) Ethiopian narrow-headed Rat (S. albocaudata) Gray-tailed narrow-headed rat (S. griseicauda) Rupp's mouse (S. ruppi) Uromys Division Melomys (Banana rats) Dusky mosaic-tailed rat (M. aerosus) Rossel Island melomys (M. arcium) Bannister's rat (M. bannisteri) Bougainville mosaic-tailed rat (M. bougainville) Grassland mosaic-tailed rat (M. burtoni) Cape York melomys (M. capensis) Short-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat (M. caurinus) Fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat(M. cervinipes) Yamdena mosaic-tailed rat (M. cooperae) Dollman's melomys (M. dollmani) Manusela mosaic-tailed rat (M. fraterculus) Snow Mountains grassland mosaic-tailed rat (M. frigicola) Seram long-tailed mosaic-tailed rat (M. fulgens) Riama mosaic-tailed rat (M. howi) White-bellied mosaic-tailed rat (M. leucogaster) Papua grassland mosaic-tailed rat (M. lutillus) Manus Island mosaic-tailed rat (M. matambuai) Obi mosaic-tailed rat (M. obiensis) Pavel's Seram mosaic-tailed rat (M. paveli) Black-tailed mosaic-tailed rat (M. rufescens) Buka Island mosaic-tailed rat (M. spechti) Long-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat (M. talaudium) Paramelomys Gressitt's mosaic-tailed rat (P. gressitti) Long-nosed mosaic-tailed rat (P. levipes) Lorentz's mosaic-tailed rat (P. lorentzii) Thomas's mosaic-tailed rat (P. mollis) Moncton's mosaic-tailed rat (P. moncktoni) Long-nosed paramelomys (P. naso) Lowland mosaic-tailed rat (P. platyops) Mountain mosaic-tailed rat (P. rubex) Stein's paramelomys (P. steini) Protochromys Red-bellied mosaic-tailed rat (P. fellowsi) Solomys (Naked-tailed rats) Poncelet's giant rat (S. ponceleti) Florida naked-tailed rat (S. salamonis) Bougainville naked-tailed rat (S. salebrosus) Isabel naked-tailed rat (S. sapientis) Uromys (Giant naked-tailed rats) Giant naked-tailed rat (U. anak) Biak giant rat (U. boeadii) Giant white-tailed rat (U. caudimaculatus) Emma's giant rat (U. emmae) Masked white-tailed rat (U. hadrourus) Emperor rat (U. imperator) Bismarck giant rat (U. neobritanicus) Guadalcanal rat (U. porculus) King rat (U. rex) Great Key Island giant rat (U. siebersi) Vangunu giant rat (U. vika) Xeromys Division Leptomys L. arfakensis Long-footed water rat (L. elegans) Ernst Mayr's water rat (L. ernstmayri) L. paulus Fly River water rat (L. signatus) Pseudohydromys (New Guinea false water rats) Bishop's moss mouse (P. berniceae) Huon small-toothed moss mouse (P. carlae) Laurie's moss mouse (P. eleanorae) One-toothed shrew mouse (P. ellermani) Mottled-tailed shrew mouse (P. fuscus) German's one-toothed moss mouse (P. germani) Eastern shrew mouse (P. murinus) Musser's shrew mouse (P. musseri) Western shrew mouse (P. occidentalis) Woolley's moss mouse (P. patriciae) Southern small-toothed moss mouse (P. pumehanae) White-bellied moss mouse (P. sandrae) Xeromys False water rat (X. myoides) See also Aethomys–Chrotomys Colomys–Golunda Hadromys–Maxomys Melasmothrix–Mus Oenomys–Pithecheir Pogonomys–Pseudomys Rattus Otomys Others

Taxon identifiers Mastomys natalensis Wikidata: Q1761383 Wikispecies: Mastomys natalensis ADW: Mastomys_natalensis BOLD: 359764 CoL: 3YDJT EoL: 1179169 GBIF: 2438911 iNaturalist: 45326 IRMNG: 10591157 ITIS: 585321 IUCN: 12868 MDD: 1003469 MSW: 13001472 NCBI: 10112 Observation.org: 84644 Open Tree of Life: 271584 Xeno-canto: Mastomys-natalensis

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Natal multimammate mouse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natal_multimammate_mouse) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natal_multimammate_mouse?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.