habitat_narrative
Terrestrial
The Grey African Climbing Mouse typically inhabits grassland and savannah regions, and is associated with a wide variety of habitats, including areas with a relatively low biomass, areas with stands of tall grass such as Hyparrhenia (Lynch 1994) and Merxmuellera spp., short montane grassland (Rowe-Rowe and Meester 1982, Taylor 1998) and shrubs of the Savannah Biome (such as dry Kalahari scrub, river fringes and flood plains), as well as other areas where vegetation has encroached. It can recolonise burnt grasslands within one month (Monadjem 2013). It was recorded on Telperion Nature Reserve habitats ranging from densely grassed areas to rocky areas with sparse grass cover (MacFadyen 2014). In winter months, MacFadyen (2014) recorded this species in large numbers within Seriphum plumosum. Rautenbach et al. (2014) trapped this species at Phinda Private Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, predominantly within Vachellia nilotica/Hyphaene coricea and Terminalia sericea woodlands, and one specimen was caught in the Drypetes arguta sandforest. Although considered to be a species preferring riverine conditions, it has been recorded in dry grassland, often some distance from water. This species is a habitat generalist, and has been recorded in both intact and degraded/disturbed areas, but is absent from overgrazed areas with very low biomass. It occurs from sea level right up to altitudes of approximately 2,700 m in the Drakensberg.Like other species of climbing mice, this nocturnal and largely terrestrial species accesses seeds and invertebrates in low bushes and grass stalks, using its slender digits to grip and climb and its prehensile tail for balance. Thus, it is adapted to being semi-arboreal (Monadjem 2013). It weaves a grass nest with a single entrance usually attached to grass stems or shrubs up to 1 m above the ground (Monadjem 2013). It will feed on seeds, but also feeds on a wide range of invertebrates, including termites, crickets and moths. This species is solitary, or lives in pairs or small family groups; it breeds seasonally, with females usually producing litters of between two and four. This species is the only member of the genus Dendromus that has a grey body; the other species within the genus have a brown or chestnut colouration.
Ecosystem and cultural services: There are no recognized cultural uses for this species. Similar to other small mammals, this species plays a role in regulating invertebrate numbers, seed predation, nutrient cycling, and is an important prey species for predators (Monadjem 2013).
