Rattus niobe Thomas 1906

Rattus niobe Thomas 1906, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 17: 327.

Type Locality: Papua New Guinea, Angabunga River, Owgarra, 2750 m.

Vernacular Names: Eastern New Guinea Mountain Rat.

Synonyms: Rattus rufulus Thomas 1922; Rattus stevensi Rümmler 1935 .

Distribution: Montane habitat in Papua New Guinea: "from the southeastern extremity of New Guinea northward and westward to 141EE longitude; also in the Saruwaged Mountains of the Huon Peninsula " (Taylor et al., 1982:193), 762-4000 m.

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc) as Stenomys niobe .

Discussion: Rattus leucopus species group. Our view of R. niobe corresponds to Papuan R. n. niobe as defined by Taylor et al. (1982). They recognized Central Cordillera populations in Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya) and a population in the Arfak Mtns of the Vogelkop Peninsula as R. n. arrogans, which we divided into R. arrogans, R. pococki, and R. arfakiensis (see those accounts). Chromosomal morphology presented by Dennis and Menzies (1978). Phallic anatomy described by Lidicker (1968). See account of R. arrogans .