798.

Paula’s Long-nosed Rat

Paulamys naso

French: Rat de Paula / German: Flores-Langnasenratte / Spanish: Rata de hocico largo de Paula

Other common names: Flores Long-nosed Rat

Taxonomy. Floresomys naso Musser, 1981,

“sediments in Liang Toge, a cave near Warukia, 1 km south of Lepa, in Mengga-rai Province, western Flores,” Nusa Teng-gara (Lesser Sunda Islands), Indonesia.

The phylogenetic relationship ofthis species is currently unknown, however,it is probably closely related to the other Lesser Sunda rats. Monotypic.

Distribution. Flores I, Indonesia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 164 mm,

tail 117 mm, ear 24 mm, hindfoot 39 mm; weight 122 g. Paula’s Long-nosed Ratis a moderately large-bodied rat with long soft fur. Dorsal pelage is brownish olive speckled with light and deep browns. Hairs on dorsum are light gray based with a brownish olive tip with long guard hairs intermixed, which are longer on the rump. Shoulders and head are cinnamon in color and sides are somewhat ligher. Ventral pelage is grayish and sharply demarcated from dorsal pelage. Tail is short (c.71% of head—body length), moderately haired, and blackish brown. Feed are covered dorsally with olive brown hairs and are a drab brown ventrally. Ears are relatively long and drab colored. Vibrissae are very long, extending well beyond the ears. Rostrum is elongated; no significant ridging on dorso-lateral and interorbital margins of braincase. Incisive foramina end posteriorly before anterior part of M'; posterior margin of palatal bridge not extending significantly after M* extremely wide mesopterygoid fossa, with moderately large walls; short sphenopalatine vacuities; and lack of cusp t3 on M* and M”.

Habitat. Primary forest habitats at elevations of 1000-2000 m.

Food and Feeding. One stomach contained several oligochaete worms; two insect larva (possibly lepidopteran); considerable unidentifiable plant matter (much of which was probably subterranean because it frequently had rootlets and root hairs attached); many corms, probably immature and representing much of the unidentified vegetable matter; several small seeds; several fragments thought to be fungal; and a few fragments of insects (probable Hymenoptera, a beetle larva, and a possible small centipede).

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Paula’s Long-nosed Rat is nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Paula’s Longnosed Rat seems to be uncommon in part of its distribution and is probably affected by mountain habitat loss on the island. Originally described from fossil remains,it was subsequently collected on Gunung Ranaka (Flores Island). It might have undergone competition with introduced Pacific Rats ( Rattus exulans) and Roof Rats ( R. rattus). Additional studies are required to properly assess density, distribution, and conserva- tion needs.

Bibliography. Clayton (2016p), Kitchener & Yani (1998), Kitchener, How & Maharadatunkamsi (1991), Kitchener, Yani & McCulloch (1998), Musser (1981a, 1981b),Musseret al. (1986).