Rattus steini Rümmler 1935

Rattus steini Rümmler 1935, Z. Saugetierk., 10: 115.

Type Locality: New Guinea, Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya), Weyland Range, Mt Kunupi.

Vernacular Names: Stein's New Guinea Rat.

Synonyms: Rattus baliemensis Taylor and Calaby 1982; Rattus försteri (Rümmler 1935); Rattus hageni Troughton 1937; Rattus rosalinda Hinton 1943 .

Distribution: Mostly mid-montane elevations along Central Cordillera of the Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya) to C Papua New Guinea, as well as highlands along N coast and on Huon Peninsula; 20-2800 m; absent from the Vogelkop Peninsula, Trans-Fly region, and E Papua (see Taylor et al., 1982:243, and Flannery, 1995 a:337).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Rattus leucopus species group. Until Taylor et al.'s (1982) revision, the distinctness of R. steini was obscured by its historical allocation at different times as a subspecies of R. leucopus, R. mordax, R. ringens (= R. leucopus), R. ruber (= R. nitidus), and Stenomys verecundus .