256.

Lowland Mosaic-tailed Rat

Mammelomys rattoides

French: Grand Mammelomys / German: Tiefland-Mosaikschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de cola moteada de tierras bajas

Other common names: Large Melomys, Large-scaled Melomys, Lowland Mammelomys, Large Mosaic-tailed Rat

Taxonomy. Melomys rattoides Thomas, 1922,

P Pionier-bivak(2°20’S, 138°0’E), 200 ft (61 m), Mamberano River, NW Province of Papua, West Papua (= Irian Jaya), New Guinea.

Mammelomys is included in a clade with Mallomys and Abeomelomys, although it was originally placed within Melomys . Monotypic.

Distribution. N New Guinea and Yapen I.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 159-224.4 mm, tail 136-5—148-3 mm, ear 18-7—

23-9 mm, hindfoot 39-1-44-1 mm; weight 172-236 g. The Lowland Mosaic-tailed Rat is a large mosaic-tailed rat. Pelage is glossy and springy, with straight guard hairs that are either longer and entirely black or shorter and yellow with a black tip. Dorsal pelage is a dark brownish black, distinctly lighter on sides and reddish along back; underfur is wavy and yellow, with black tips. Ventral pelage is white. Feet are white, narrow and long. Ears are long and dark; vibrissae long. Tail is short (c.85-95% of head-body length), hairy, and distinctly bicolored, being dark above and white below with tip completely white. Skull is convex and narrow. There is one pair of mammae inguinally.

Habitat. [.owland forest habitats at elevations of 320-1400 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Reproductive information for this species may in fact pertain to Lorentz’s Mosaic-tailed Rat ( Paramelomys lorentzii). A captive-born young opened its eyes at ten days and was as large as its mother at six months. Littersize seems to be one, and pregnant or lactating females have been recorded in January and May. A pregnant female with a single young was taken from a burrow in July in TorricelliMountains.

Activity patterns. The Lowland Mosaic-tailed Rat is probably nocturnal and terrestrial, and builds nests in burrows.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. [Lowland Mosaic-tailed Rats seem to be solitary.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Lowland Mosaic-tailed Rat has a relatively wide distribution, is common throughout its range, and appears not to tobe subject to any major threats. Further research is needed, however, in order to elucidate its natural history and evolution, and any possible threats facing it.

Bibliography. Flannery (1995a, 1995b),Leary, Singadan, Menzies, Wright, Helgen & Aplin (2016b), Menzies (1996), Musser & Carleton (2005), Steppan & Schenk (2017), Thomas (1922a).