794.

Spiny Boki Mekot Rat

Halmaheramys bokimekot

French: Rat de Boki Mekot / German: Halmahera-Stachelratte / Spanish: Rata espinosa de Boki Mekot

Taxonomy. Halmaheramys bokimekot Fabre et al., 2013,

“15 km north-west of Sagea village (central Halmahera, Halmahera Island, North Moluccas, Indonesia), at 723 m a.s.l. Coordinates: 00°36°42-60" N, 128°2°49-00’E .”

Halmaheramys was found to be basal to a clade including Taeromys, Paruromys, and Bunomys . Subfossil records are known from Morotai Island, north of Halmahera Island, Indonesia. Another species of Halmaheramys is currently under description from Obi and Bisa Islands by P. H. Fabre and colleagues. Monotypic.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 145-9-151-1 mm (males) and 143-2-167 mm (females), tail 119-:6-132-3 mm (males) and 119-6-132-3 mm (females), ear 18-1-19-9 mm (males) and 27-5-28-4 mm (females), hindfoot 29-2-30-1 mm (males) and 27-5-28-4 mm (females); weight 81-98 g (males) and 72-99 g (females). The Spiny Boki Mekot Rat is medium-sized; fur is harsh, thick, and long, with bristly and spiny hairs mixed throughout. Females seem larger than males based on available measurements. Dorsum is brownish gray; venter is grayish white; and bristly white-tipped hairs are longer dorso-laterally. Spiny pelage is stiff and flattened, with robust whitish gray guard hairs, found mostly ventrally but also scattered on dorsum. Underfur is short and thick, gray dorsally and grayish white ventrally. Dorsal pelage is somewhat patchy, with chestnut and dark brown hairs mixed throughout, while ventral pelage is uniform. Vibrissae are long; ears are short, rounded, covered in short soft hair throughout, and blackish. Forefeet and hindfeet are long, slender, and covered with small whitish hairs. Sharp and moderately long claws are unpigmented, and forefeet have rounded reduced pollex, with small rounded nail. Tail is ¢.81% of head-body length, covered with small hairs, and almost completely brown (having smaller brown hairs), except for pure white tip (having unpigmented longer hairs). There are three pairs of mammae: one post-axillary and two inguinal pairs. Skull is fairly large and smooth, with smooth vaulted braincase and long and narrow rostrum. The nematode Syphacia semiadii has been recorded in the Spiny Boki Mekot Rat.

Habitat. Dense primary lowland evergreen forest at elevations of 700-750 m.

Food and Feeding. Stomachs of two Spiny Boki Mekot Rats contained vegetation and arthropod remains.

Breeding. A pregnant Spiny Boki Mekot Rat with three embryos and three scrotal males were caught in January.

Activity patterns. The Spiny Boki Mekot Rat is terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The [UCN Red List. The Spiny Boki Mekot Rat is probably threatened by mining and logging operations, but additional research is needed to fully understand its natural history and conservation threats.

Bibliography. Dewi, Asakawa & Fitriana (2014), Fabre, Pages et al. (2013), Fabre, Reeve et al. (2017).