287.

Lorentz’s Mosaic-tailed Rat

Paramelomys lorentzii

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

Other common names: Lorentz's Paramelomys

Taxonomy. Pogonomys lorentzii Jentink, 1908,

“Resi Camp (900 meters),” Lorentz River, Province of Papua, West Papua (= Irian Jaya), New Guinea.

Paramelomys lorentzii, first described as a species of Pogonomys, was transferred to Melomys (subgenus Paramelomys) in 1936 by H.Riimmler, who treated it as a subspecies of M. levipes . J. 1. Menzies returned lorentzii to species rank in 1996 on basis of morphoanatomical data and a morphometrics analysis. According to Menzies, it belongs to same group as P. gressitti and P. moncktoni . Monotypic.

Distribution. S New Guinea from Mimika River E to the Darai Plateau and Mt Bosavi area.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 135-195 mm, tail 102-135 mm, ear 13-18 mm, hindfoot 29-34-5 mm. Nospecific data are available for body weight. A mediumsized Paramelomys, Lorentz’s Mosaic-tailed Rat displays a soft mahogany gray-brown dorsal pelage and a paler whitish ventral one;it has a dark-colored eye-ring. Tail is shorter than head-body length and is dark above and paler below; there are three hairs per tail scale. Whiskers are long, up to 70 mm. Feet are narrow. Females have two pairs of mammae.

Habitat. Lowland and gallery forest between sea level and 1500 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Lorentz’s Mosaic-tailed Ratis terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Lorentz’s Mosaic-tailed Rat is widespread, and is present in some protected areas.

Bibliography. Flannery (1995b), Menzies (1996), Rummler (1936).