Malacothrix typica (A. Smith 1834) [Dendromus] typicus A. Smith 1834, South African Quart. J., 2: 148. Type Locality: South Africa, Eastern Cape Prov., Graaff Reinet Dist. Vernacular Names: Large-eared African Desert Mouse. Synonyms: Malacothrix damarensis Roberts 1932; Malacothrix egeria Thomas 1926; Malacothrix fryi Roberts 1917; Malacothrix harveyi Roberts 1951; Malacothrix kalaharicus Roberts 1932; Malacothrix molopensis Roberts 1933. Distribution: Eastern portion of Southern African Subregion in semidesert regions (mean annual rainfall = 150-500 mm) where sandy plains, short grassy velds, and karroid shrubs on hard substrates predominate; ranges in C and E South Africa (Eastern, Western and Northern Cape Provs., Free State, Northwest Prov.), S Botswana (Smithers, 1971), most of Namibia, and extreme SW Angola (Crawford-Cabral, 1998). Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc). Discussion: Reviewed by Skinner and Smithers (1990) and de Graaff (1997 aa). The species is now absent from KwaZulu-Natal in E South Africa but was present until about 60,000 years ago (Avery, 1991). Closely related to the extinct M. makapani, early Pleistocene Swartkrans cave sediments in South Africa (Avery, 1998).

Published as part of Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Nesomyidae, pp. 930-955 in Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore :The Johns Hopkins University Press on page 942, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7316535