171.

Luzon Cordillera Hairy-tailed Rat

Batomys grantii

French: Batomys de Grant / German: Luzon-Haarschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de cola peluda de Luzdn

Other common names: Luzon Batomys, Luzon Forest Rat, Luzon Hairy-tailed Rat

Taxonomy. Batomys grantii Thomas, 1895,

Mt. Data, Mountain Province, Luzon Island, Philippines.

Until recently, considered conspecific with B. uragon; the two are closely related but show some morphometric and molecular differences. Previously thought to be a near relative of B. salomonseni, but several recent molecular studies have found that B. grantu is closer to Crateromys heaneyi than it isto B. salomonseni, meaning that, as currently constituted, the genus is paraphyletic. The specific epithet of this species is sometimes spelt as granti, although it is spelt grantii in the original description. Monotypic.

Distribution. N Luzon I, Philippines.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 185-200 mm,tail 148-180 mm, ear 21-23 mm, hindfoot 33-39 mm; weight 145-226 g. The Luzon Cordillera Hairy-tailed Ratis a medium-sized rat for the genus with a short tail (¢.85% of head-body length) and dense, soft fur. Tail is covered in short brown hairs and is a brown color overall, rarely with white on the very tip—Iless prominent than in the Large-toothed Hairy-tailed Rat ( B. dentatus). Around the eye there is a narrow ring of bare skin surrounded by black hairs. Dorsal pelage is dark brown with tawny speckling, being a lighter buffy brown on the sides—some specimens with slight gray suffusion—and ventral pelage varies from dark grayish buff to bright ocherous buff suffused with gray, being sharply demarcated from dorsal pelage. Vibrissae are shorter than those of the Large-toothed Hairy-tailed Rat, not extending past the ears, which are fairly small, dark gray, and covered in small brown hairs, giving a browner appearance on the outer surface. Feet have brown patches dorsally and hindfeet are wide with six large plantar pads. Skull with somewhat elongated cranium, long incisive foramina, derived carotid circulatory circulation, and usually absent alisphenoid struts. First upper molar with the tl cusp oriented posterolingually and first and second upper molars lack a posterior cingulum while the first and second lower molars have a large posterior cingulum (which is either cordate or oblong). Females have two pairs of inguinal mammae. Karyotype is 2n = 52; FN = 52.

Habitat. Primary and secondary montane and mossy forest at elevations of 1600-2530 m.

Food and Feeding. Diet consists of plant material (seeds, fruits, and perhaps leaves).

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Luzon Cordillera Hairy-tailed Rats are nocturnal. They forage on the ground and in trees up to 5 m high; an individual was captured in a leaf nest built at the base of a deep pit.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List (as B. granti)because it isnever abundant and there is significant deforestation taking place within its distribution. Luzon Cordillera Hairy-tailed Rats are apparently able to withstand some habitat degradation, although they may be affected by continued agricultural expansion. All known populations ofthis species are within protected areas.

Bibliography. Balete et al. (2015), Heaney, Balete & Rickart (2016), Heaney, Balete, Rickart, Veluz & Jansa (2009), Musser, Heaney & Tabaranza (1998), Schenk et al. (2013).