Parahydromys asper Thomas 1906

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Muridae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 1189-1531 : 1430

Parahydromys asper Thomas 1906

Parahydromys asper Thomas 1906 , Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 17: 326.

Type Locality: Papua, New Guinea, Central Province, Owen Stanley Range, Richardson Range, Mt Gayata, 2000-4000 m.

Vernacular Names: New Guinea Waterside Rat.

Distribution: New Guinea; Central Cordillera from the Arfak Mountains and Weyland Range in Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya) to E flanks of the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea, as well as Huon Peninsula (Flannery, 1995 a:251).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Flannery (1990 b, 1995 a) reviewed the little distributional and biological information recorded for the species, which unlike species of Hydromys , is not amphibious. Donnellan (1987) reported chromosomal data. Cole et al. (1997) discussed a specimen from the Mt Dayman region at the E end of the species’ range. Aplin et al. (1999) reported a specimen of this species from a Holocene archaeological site on the Ayamaru Plateau, central Bird’s Head Peninsula of Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya).