769.

Tana Toraja Hill Rat

Bunomys torajae

French: Bunomys des Torajas / German: Toraja-Sulawesi-Bergratte / Spanish: Rata de colina de Toraja

Other common names: Tana Toraja Bunomys

Taxonomy. Bunomys torajae Musser, 2014,

“tropical lower montane rain forest at 2600 m near Gunung Gandangdewata (—2-748253° S, 119-368536° E for the peak, Rano Rano, Kampung Rantepangko, desai Tondok Bakaru, Kabatuan Mamasa).”

Bunomys torajaeis in the B. chrysocomus species group within Bunomys and is sister to B. torajae . Monotypic.

Distribution. Mt Gandangdewata, Quarles Range, WC Sulawesi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 156-175 mm, tail 160-170 mm, ear 26-28 mm, hindfoot 36-39 mm; weight 98-128 g. The Tana Toraja Hill Rat is medium-sized but the largest, by body size, in the B. chrysocomus species group. Pelage is soft, dense, long, and somewhat woolly, with relatively short black guard hairs. Dorsum is dark brown, with buff and black speckling. Venteris buffy dark gray, with dark gray throat, but one specimen was paler with dark gray background washed with pale buff; ventral pelage is not sharply demarcated from dorsal pelage. Feet are gray to brownish gray dorsally, with silvery highlights occasionally; ventral part is gray to dark gray. Claws are moderately long, sharp, and unpigmented. Ears are large and dark brown, covered in short hair and appear to be naked. Tail is ¢.93% of head-body length and is individually variable in color, dorsally dark brownish gray and ventrally white or white mottled with grayish brown; some specimens have white tip. Skull has long and tapered rostrum, with slight bulges of nasolacrimal capsule. There are two pairs of inguinal mammae.

Habitat. Tropical lower montane forest at elevations of 2500-2600 m.

Food and Feeding. Diet of the Tana Toraja Hill Rat is probably similar to that ofthe Common Hill Rat ( B. chrysocomus).

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Tana Toraja Hill Rat is terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red List. The Tana Toraja Hill Rat has a very restricted distribution and may be threatened by habitat loss from logging and agricultural expansion, although this occurs in lowlands were it has not been found.

Bibliography. Musser (2014).