Melomys rattoides Thomas, 1922

Guy G. Musser & Michael D. Carleton, 1993, Order Rodentia - Family Muridae, Mammal Species of the World (2 nd Edition), Washington and London: Smithsonian Institution Press, pp. 501-755 : 618-619

Melomys rattoides Thomas, 1922 . Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, 9:263.

TYPE LOCALITY: New Guinea, NW Irian Jaya, Mamberano River, Pionier-bivak (2°20'S, 138°0’ E), 200 ft .

DISTRIBUTION: New Guinea; N slopes and lowlands from the type locality in Irian Jaya through slopes N of Idenberg River to the Telefomin region in West Sepik Prov. of Papua New Guinea ( Flannery and Seri, 1990); also on Pulau Yapen (Japen Isl); limits of range unknown. No records from above 1200 m.

COMMENTS: The distribution is based on the few reliable identifications of samples. Tate's (1951:290) records of M. rattoides from Cyclops Mts, for example, were based on M. lanosus , as were the easternmost dots on Flannery's (1990b:229) map. Closest relative is M. lanosus , which occurs in moss forests at altitudes higher than the distribution of M. rattoides (see account of M. lanosus ).