Chiromyscus thomasi Balakirev, Abramov & Rozhnov 2014

The fur is dense, smooth and downy. The coloration of the upper side is a bright fulvous with a perceptible orange hue, which is most prominent in the humeral area. On the underside, the belly is pure white without patches or creamy hues. The sides are more brightly colored than the back. The cheek, lateral surface of the neck and the front legs are a bright yellowish-orange. The rump, hips, and base of tail are also, like the cheek, a rich ochraceous color. A very prominent black strip passes over the eye, forming a very characteristic “mask” on the face. The vibrissae are long (over 60 mm), both black- and white-colored, and the ears are small (18–20 mm), pale-brown colored and rounded. The dorsal sides of both the front and hind feet are completely buffy-orange. The pads both in the front and hind feet are well developed. The claws are large (4.2–5.0 mm in length), curved and appreciably sharp. The hallux bears a plain nail instead of a claw. The tail is very long, slender and hairy; it is much longer than the body (128–132% of body length). It is rather thick and almost uniformly tinged pale-brown from the proximal part to the tip.

Confirmed specimens of Chiromyscus thomasi have been recorded from the provinces of Son La and Lao Cai in northern Vietnam, the provinces of Kon Tum and Nhge An in central Vietnam, and the provinces of Xieng Khouang and Luang Prabang in northern Laos, based on published data and our (BAE) most recent and unpublished data. This species may have a wider distribution in central Vietnam (Dang Huy Huynh et al. 1994, Dang Ngoc Can et al. 2008) and in northern and central Laos (Aplin et al. 2008, Musser 1981, Corbet and Hill 1992) where similar “mask-bearing” specimens have been reported. It is also likely distributed in south-western China (see Wang 2003) and northern Thailand (see Marshall 1977) but clarifying comparisons are needed to rule out alternative identifications (Chiromyscus chiropus and Chiromyscus langbianis) before this wider potential geographic distribution is confirmed.