233.

Tawny Brush Mouse

Coccymys kirrhos

French: Coccymys fauve / German: Gelbbraune Birstenschwanzmaus / Spanish: Raton de cepillo leonado

Other common names: Tawny Coccymys

Taxonomy. Coccymys kirrhos Musser & Lunde, 2009,

“Top Camp, 2230 m, north slopes of Mt Dayman, Maneau Range, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea.”

Occurrence of a distinctive but previously unreported population of Coccymys in the Owen Stanley Range of Papua New Guinea was noted in 2005 by G. G.Musser and i M. D. Carleton; C. kirrhos was named by Musser and D. P. Lunde in 2009 in context of generic revision. At western end ofits range, C. kirrhos is locally sympatric with C. shawmayeri . Monotypic.

Distribution. Recorded from five montane localities at E end of Central Cordillera and on Papuan Peninsula, New Guinea, including Mt Dayman and Mt Simpson in Maneau Range.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 80-105 mm, tail 142-159 mm, ear 13-20 mm, hindfoot 23-26 mm; weight 22-28 g. Species of Coccymys are small murines with soft, dense fur, reddish brown to dark brown over dark gray on upperparts, and gray washed with cream or buff below; head is broad, with short snout bearing very long vibrissae that extend past ears when folded back; eyes prominent, forward-facing, and contained within dark mask that extends forward onto muzzle; ears are small, dark brown, and covered in fine hairs; feet unpigmented and covered in white or clear hairs, hindfeet with claws on all digits and large plantar pads. Tail is much longer than head-body length,finely scaled and thinly furred with three hairs per scale, no terminaltuft, upper surface with smooth “prehensile” pad, dark for entire length or with short white tip. Cranium is characterized by relatively robust incisors with orange enamel, small molars with simple cusp patterns, moderately large auditory bullae. The Tawny Brush Mouse is distinguished byits bright orange-brown or tawny fur on upperparts, whitishgray wash on underparts; tail very long (151-180% of head-body length) and always dark to tip. Differences in cranial morphology also distinguish this species from congeners. Mammae three on each side, one post-axillary and two inguinal.

Habitat. Extends from lower montane tropical forest with oaks into mossy upper montane forest dominated by Antarctic beech ( Nothofagus, Nothofagaceae). On Mount Dayman, some specimens came from “shrubby forest fringe” abutting areas of tussock

grassland and fern communities within anthropogenic clearings (produced by firing). Known elevational range is 1490-2500 m.

Food and Feeding. Probably frugivorous, with addition of some seeds and insects.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Tawny Brush Mouse has been trapped on ground, but body proportions are those of a skilled climber. Almost certainly a scansorial species, moving between ground and canopy in forest, or foraging among shrubs in lower vegetation.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Montane forests of the Maneau Range arestill largely intact, despite intensive forestry activity and widespread conversion of forest to plantations on Southeast Papuan Peninsula.

Bibliography. Brass (1956), Musser & Carleton (1993, 2005), Musser & Lunde (2009).