Eliurus petteri, Carleton, 1994
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6600357 |
DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6600225 |
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03993828-FFF7-0F53-FF29-FC60CDF3F771 |
treatment provided by |
Felipe |
scientific name |
Eliurus petteri |
status |
|
Petter’s Tufted-tail Rat
French: Rat-loir de Petter / German: Petter-Bilchschwanz / Spanish: Rata de cola de penacho de Petter
Other common names: Petters Tuft-tailed Rat
Taxonomy. Eliurus petteri Carleton, 1994 View in CoL ,
“ 8 km from Fanovana ,” Toamasina Province, Madagascar .
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. Endemic to C part of E Madagascar (Toamasina Province). View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 133 mm, tail 191 mm; weight 74 g. There are no more specific measurements for Petter’s Tufted-tail Rat. Dorsum is grayish brown, and venter is crisp white; it is easily recognizable from adults of other species of Eliurus by this distinct color contrast. Distal one-fourth oftail is covered with sparse grayish brown hair, forming small terminal tuft that is white in some individuals. Tarsi are gray, and feet and toes are completely white.
Habitat. Eastern humid lowland and montane forest at elevations of 430-1200 m.
Food and Feeding. Petter’s Tufted-tail Rat is presumed to be largely a granivore and to a lesser extent frugivore and insectivore.
Breeding. Petter’s Tufted-tail Rat has three pairs of mammae.
Activity patterns. Petter’s Tufted-tail Rat is presumed to be nocturnal and scansorial.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red Lust. Petter’s Tufted-tail Rat is forest-dwelling and is known from a very restricted area of humid forest in the central-eastern part of Madagascar. Its extent of occurrence is ¢.1500 km*. Given its apparent restricted distribution and continued declines in the natural forest of this region, its mediumand long-term future is uncertain.
Bibliography. Carleton (1994, 2003), Goodman et al. (2013), Rakotondraparany & Medard (2005), Soarimalala & Goodman (2011).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.