695.

Spiny Seram Island Rat

Rattus feliceus

French: Rat de Felix / German: Seram-Ratte / Spanish: Rata espinosa de Seram

Other common names: Spiny Seram Rat

Taxonomy. Rattus feliceus Thomas, 1920,

Gunung Manusela,

6000ft (= 1830 m), Pulau Seram, Maluku (Moluccas), Indonesia.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Seram I, Moluccas, Indonesia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 167-287 mm, tail 165-185 mm, ear 20-22 mm, hindfoot 40-46 mm; weight 120-345 g. The Spiny Seram Island Ratis large, with spiny bicolored fur, white on belly and rufousbrown on back. It is characterized by dark tail 68-91%of head-body length; medium-sized hindfeet compared with head-body length; palatal bridge extending well beyond M?; well-developed temporal and postorbital ridges; wide and deep zygomatic notch; broad and medium-sized rostrum; lateral space between zygomatic root and maxillary and sphenoid bones; nearly flat top ofskull laterally between nasal and occipital; zygomatic arch nearly reaching orslightly reaching level of upper molar row ventrally; squamosal rootof zygomatic arch high on tympanic bulla; posterior palatine foramina at M” level; moderately developed jugular process; in palatal view, squamosal root of zygomatic arch reaching level of small and not inflated tympanic bulla; in palatal view, zygomatic rootof zygomatic arch overlapping at level of molar row; slightly developed eustachian tube; post-glenoid vacuity fused with middle lacerate foramen; basisphenoid that seems suspended in spheno-palatine vacuity; posteriorly, long incisive foramina reaching level offirst upper molar; wide angular process not extending beyond posterior part ofarticulation condyle; orange, opisthodont, and large incisors; wide incisor blade equal or larger in size to its longest basal width; no cusp t7 on M'; postererocone forming little bulge on M'; cusp t3 present on M? and M? no tl bis on M'; cusp tl of M' behind cusps t2 and t3, forming bulge on first M' lamina; well-developed cusp t8 of M' and M? compared with other cusps, forming chevronate structure with cusp t2 of M' and M? no antero-labial cusplet on m,; postero-labial cusplet always present on ml; anteroand postero-labial cusplet present on m,; and posterolabial cusplet usually absent but present on m, of only two specimens. There are four pairs of mammae: one pectoral, one post-axillary, andtwo inguinal.

Habitat. Primary montane and mossy forests from sea level up to elevations of¢.2000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Spiny Seram Island Rat is nocturnal and likely terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. More taxonomic and ecological studies are required for this poorly known species.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Flannery (1995a), Helgen (2003), Musser & Holden (1991), Rimmler (1938), Thomas (1920c).