316.

Biak Island Giant Rat

Uromys boeadii

French: Uromys de Boeadi / German: Biak-Riesenratte / Spanish: Rata gigante de Biak

Other common names: Biak Giant Rat, Biak Island Uromys

Taxonomy. Uromys boeadii Groves & Flannery, 1994,

25 km north-east of Biak (town), 65 m, Pulau Biak, Geelvinck Bay, Province ofPapua, West Papua (= Irian Jaya), Indonesia.

Within Uromys, U. boeadii is placed under subgenus Uromys along with U. anak, U. caudimaculatus, U. emmae, U. hadrourus, and U. neobritannicus, and is apparently not closely

related to other members of the genus. Monotypic.

Distribution. Biak I, off NW New Guinea; possibly also on adjacent Supiori I.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 255 mm, tail 235 mm, ear 25 mm, hindfoot 62 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Biak Island Giant Rat is a relatively small species of Uromys . Pelage is long, shiny and harsh, consisting of many long dark guard hairs, as well as a few lighter guard hairs; underfuris grayish white and crimped. Dorsal pelage is deep blackish brown, being darker near front of body and lighter distally. Ventral pelage is sparsely furred, and the light skin tone is visible, while the hairs are mostly brown except for a creamy white streak down midline of chest, broadening down body and then narrowing again. Feet are sparsely haired and lighter brown in color. Ears are naked and rounded; vibrissae are long and black. Tail is relatively short (92% of head-body length) and monocolored black. Skull is deep, with relatively short and deep rostrum.

Habitat. Probably tropical moist forests.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red Lust. The Biak Island Giant Rat has a very restricted distribution and is estimated to have experienced an 80% population decline over a ten-year period, although it isknown only from a single specimen. It is threatened by habitat loss and degradation, which is occurring at high levels on Biak Island, as well as overhunting by natives.

Bibliography. Bryant et al. (2011), Flannery (1995a), Groves & Flannery (1994), Musser & Carleton (2005), Steppan & Schenk (2017), Wright & Leary (2016a).