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Car Nicobar Rat

Rattus palmarum

French: Rat des palmiers / German: CarNicobarPalmenratte / Spanish: Rata de Car Nicobar Other common names: Palm Rat, Zelebor's Nicobar Rat

Taxonomy. Mus palmarum Zelebor, 1869,

Car Nicobar, Nicobar Islands, India. Rattus palmarum has not been included in any recent phylogenetic study, but it may be related to R.tiomanicus based on morphology and possibly R. burrus . Type locality was not given but was determined to be Car Nicobar based on detailed records of where specimens were collected. Monotypic.

Distribution. Car Nicobar and Great Nicobar Is, India.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 225-240 mm, tail 220-231 mm, hindfoot 48 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Car Nicobar Rat is a large species of endemic and barely known Rattus . Pelage is dense and rough. Dorsum is dark brown, mixed with longer black guard hairs and soft spines. Venter 1s white. Ears are dark brown; vibrissae are long. Tail is less than 100% of head-body length and unicolored dark brown. Skull is large and robust, with thick and high dorso-lateral ridges. There are five pairs of mammae: two axillary and three inguinal.

Habitat. Tropical evergreen forests and mangrove areas at elevations of 50-150 m. The Car Nicobar Rat might prefer crowns of palm trees.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Car Nicobar Rat is nocturnal and arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The Car Nicobar Ratis known from only four specimens and virtually nothing it known about its natural history, taxonomy, and conservation threats. It is included as Schedule V (considered vermin) of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Increasing palm plantations might benefit the Car Nicobar Rat, but tsunamis probably have negative effects.

Bibliography. Agrawal (2000), Corbet & Hill (1992), Ellerman (1961), Johnsingh & Manjrekar (2015), Molur (20161), Molur et al. (2005), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Heaney (1985).