172.

Hamiguitan Hairy-tailed Rat

Batomys hamiguitan

French: Batomys de I'Hamiguitan / German: Hamiguitan-Haarschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de cola peluda de Hamiguitan

Taxonomy. Batomys hamiguitan Balete et al., 2008,

Mt. Hamiguitan, Eastern Mind-anao Island, Philippines.

Recently described on morphological and morphometrical grounds, this species was included in a morphometric and molecular revision of the genus by D. S. Balete and colleagues in 2015; it is closely related to B. salomonseni . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from the type locality on Mindanao I, Philippines.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 171-189 mm, tail 111-125 mm, ear 22-25 mm, hindfoot 35-36 mm; weight 155-183 g. A medium sized species for the genus with coarse and relatively short pelage, although it is longer than in the Luzon Cordillera Hairy-tailed Rat (B. grant) and the Russet Hairy-tailed Rat ( B. russatus). Dorsal pelageis yellowish brown with dark gray to black guard hairs with a pale yellowish brown to unpigmented tip. These unpigmented tipped hairs are most prevalent on the rump. Over-fur hairs are slate gray basally with agrayish brown to black tip after a small area ofyellowish brown before the tip. Ventral pelage is a grayish buff and not sharply demarcated from the dorsal pelage. Ears are smoothly rounded and slightly longer than its relatives, being dark gray near the edges and paler inside with short dark and pale brown fur covering them, as well as some unpigmented strands. Forefeet are short with robust digits, being unpigmented dorsally and cover in white hairs while hindfeet are shorter than their relatives (shortest for the genus) and has a narrow band of medium grayish brown fur surrounded by unpigmented fur for the rest of the foot. Plantar surface has pale gray pigmentation over the pads, which are relatively small relative to the plantar surface. Tail is slender, covered with short hairs that make the tail a dark brownish black and is shorter (c.63-66%) than head-body length. Around the eye there is a naked rings of dark skin surrounded by black hairs. The very long facial vibrissae extend back to the ears and the shoulders, and are the longest in the genus. Very similar to the Mindanao Hairy-tailed Rat (B. salomonsenz) but distinguished from it by its shorter and coarser pelage. Skull is shorter and broader than in the Luzon Cordillera Hairy-tailed Rat or the Mindanao Hairy-tailed Rat, and longer and broader than in the Russet Hairy-tailed Rat. Incisive foramin is long with ashort palate and a short and narrow palatal bridge, although it islonger and wider than in the Russet Hairy-tailed Rat. Mandible is shorter and narrower than in the Luzon Cordillera Hairy-tailed Rat and the Mindanao Hairy-tailed Rat but longer and higher than in the Russet Hairy-tailed Rat. The t9 cusp of M3 always present and well developed, unlike in other species in the genus.

Habitat. Degraded habitat at the transition zone between lowland and montane forest, and also primary montane forest, at elevations of 950-1128 m.

Food and Feeding. The Hamiguitan Hairy-tailed Ratis apparently herbivorous.

Breeding. Two females collected in May were each bearing one embryo. Three unreproducing young adult females and one with a swollen left uteran horn were also captured in May.

Activity patterns. Hamiguitan Hairy-tailed Rats are nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Potential threats include mining, tourism, hunting for bushmeat, and deforestation.

Bibliography. Balete, Heaney et al. (2008), Balete, Rickart et al. (2015).