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Hump-shaped elevational profiles in species richness have been identified as being a common pattern in small mammal communities studied previously mostly in New World mountain ranges.However,we found a significant increase in small mammal richness with elevation in the Soutpansberg Mountains located just north of the Tropic of Capricorn in South Africa that could best be explained by the proportion of rocky cover.Climatic and geometric variables were not significantly correlated with elevation.Densities of two rodent species and one insectivore either declined or increased significantly with elevation; this variation was best explained by the proportion of rocky cover.A review of small mammal studies from major mountain ranges in southern,eastern and western Africa and Madagascar found that the hump-shaped pattern is not common.Declines in richness as well as cases of no significant elevational change were the most common patterns noted.In all cases local habitat variables seemed to best explain observed patterns.Tropical African mountains have far higher small mammal diversity than temperate African mountains.Gamma species richness for the western Soutpansberg (24 species) was typical more of tropical than temperate African mountains.