Rhabdomys pumilio
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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. It nests in self-built burrows. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De Hoop Nature Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Exotic Animal World | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 26 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse in Namib-Naukluft National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to July, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
7th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse sightings, Namib-Naukluft National Park ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in De Hoop Nature Reserve (South Africa, about 40%), West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 40%) and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Rodentia
The closest relatives of the Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse that you can see in Namib-Naukluft National Park (order Rodentia, Rodents) are Cape Ground Squirrel (about 30%), Dassie Rat (about 20%) and Cape Porcupine (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Cape Four-striped Grass Mouse is recorded against all the mammals logged in Namib-Naukluft National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
