Melomys arcium (Thomas, 1913)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Muridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 536-884 : 695

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6887260

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6788210

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E30E275-3479-FFC8-E462-280970598BE5

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Melomys arcium
status

 

264. View Plate 41: Muridae

Rossel Island Mosaic-tailed Rat

Melomys arcium View in CoL

French: Mélomys de Rossel / German: Rossel-Mosaikschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de cola moteada de Rossel

Other common names: Rossel Island Melomys

Taxonomy. Uromys arcium Thomas, 1913 ,

“Rossel I[sland]., d’Entrecasteaux Group [= Islands],” Papua New Guinea.

First described as a member of genus Uro-mys, arctum was placed in Melomys by O. Thomas in 1922 and in subgenus Melomys by H.Riummler in 1936 as a subspecies Of M. leucogaster . In his 1996 revision, J. I. Menzies found M. arcium to be close to M. leucogaster , and T. F. Flannery in 1995 suggested it as a valid species, an opinion followed by G. G. Musser and M. D. Carleton in 2005. Monotypic. | Distribution. Rossel I, Louisiade Archipelago,Papua New Guinea. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 138 mm,tail 127 mm, ear 18 mm, hindfoot 28 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Rossel Island Mosaic-tailed Rat is a medium-sized Melomys described as having a dull rufous-brown dorsal pelage and a white ventral surface. Tail is shorter (92%) than head-body length. Skull is large and robust.

Habitat. Specimens were collected at elevations ranging between 50 m and 700 m. There is no information on its habitat.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List because no specimens have been recorded since 1956 and there is a lack of information about the population and ecology of this species.

Bibliography. Fabre, Fitriana et al. (2017), Flannery (1995a), Menzies (1996), Musser & Carleton (2005), Rdmmler (1936), Thomas (1913c, 1922c).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Muridae

Genus

Melomys

Loc

Melomys arcium

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr 2017
2017
Loc

Uromys arcium

Thomas 1913
1913
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