Hydromys moae Troughton, 1935b

Parnaby, Harry E., Ingleby, Sandy & Divljan, Anja, 2017, Type Specimens of Non-fossil Mammals in the Australian Museum, Sydney, Records of the Australian Museum 69 (5), pp. 277-420 : 357-358

Hydromys moae Troughton, 1935b

Rec. Aust. Mus. 19(4): 254. (19 September 1935).

Common name. Water Rat.

Current name. Hydromys chrysogaster É. Geoffroy, 1804 ; following Jackson & Groves (2015). Taxonomic status unresolved: several authors have noted the need for a detailed taxonomic review given the extensive size and colour variation within Hydromys chrysogaster (see Jackson & Groves, 2015).

Holotype. M.4558 by original designation. Adult, indeterminate sex, skull, flat skin ( Figs 35–36 ), presented in April 1929 by Mr A. S. Le Souef, registered in April 1929.

Condition. Cranium missing left auditory capsule and small posterior section of the left zygomatic arch; both dentaries complete. Damaged flat skin, distal third of tail is detached and front left limb is almost detached.

Type locality. Moa Island, Torres Strait, Qld, Australia.

Paratype. M.4559 by original designation. Immature [male], skull, flat skin, same data as holotype.

Comments. Troughton gave no indication of the number of specimens in the type series and his original account mentions only the holotype and paratype, for which he cites registration numbers for both.

Figures

Figure 35. AM M.4558, holotype skin of Hydromys moae Troughton, 1935b. (Photography by Sally Cowan).

Figure 36. AM M.4558, holotype skull of Hydromys moae Troughton, 1935b. (Photography by Sally Cowan).