273.

Manus Island Mosaic-tailed Rat

Melomys matambuai

French: Mélomys de Manus / German: Manus-Mosaikschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de cola moteada de Manus

Other common names: Manus Island Melomys, Manus Melomys

Taxonomy. Melomys matambuai Flannery, Colgan & Trimble, 1994,

Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea.

In original 1994 description, T. F. Flannery and colleagues included a genetic analysis showing that M. matambuai is distant from other Melomys taxa and found in a clade with M. rufescens . J. 1. Menzies in 1996 confirmed that this species belongs in the M. rufescens division. K. M. Helgen in 2003 found it close to M. paveli . Monotypic.

Distribution. Manus I, Papua New Guinea.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 151 mm, tail 141, ear 18 mm, hindfeet 30-31 mm; weight 145 g. The ManusIsland Mosaic-tailed Rat is a large representative of Melomys genus. It is characterized by a soft, dense reddish-brown to tawny dorsal pelage, and a pure white ventral surface. Tail is uniformly black and shorter than head-body length. Females have two pairs of mammae.

Habitat. Recorded in forested areas, including a cacao plantation.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Manus Island Mosaic-tailed Rat seems to be a largely arboreal species.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered in The IUCN Red Listbecause is known from a very small range (c.2354 km?) in a very fragmented habitat under many threats.

Bibliography. Flannery (1995b), Flannery et al. (1994), Helgen (2003), Menzies (1996).