289.

Monckton’s Mosaic-tailed Rat

Paramelomys moncktoni

French: Mélomys de Monckton / German: Monckton-Mosaikschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de cola moteada de Monckton

Other common names: Monckton's Paramelomys

Taxonomy. Uromys moncktoni Thomas, 1904,

“about 8°30’S. lat., 148° E. long. [= Kumusi River],” Northern Province, Papua New Guinea.

Paramelomys moncktoni was initially attributed to genus Uromys, but in 1936 H. Rammler included it in Melomys (in subgenus Paramelomys). In 1996 Paramelomys was resurrected as a full genus byJ. I. Menzies, whose revision placed P. moncktoni in the same morphological group as P. gressitti

and P. lorentzii . Monotypic.

Distribution. NE and Papuan Peninsula of E New Guinea, and nearby Sideia I.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 135-170 mm, tail 115-145 mm, ear 18-21 mm, hindfoot 29-33 mm; weight 78-118 g. This medium-sized Paramelomys is very similar to the Papuan Lowland Mosaic-tailed Rat ( P. levipes) and the Common Lowland Mosaictailed Rat ( P. platyops). Monckton’s Mosaic-tailed Rat is characterized by the presence of three hairs (instead of one) per scale of the tail. Fur is short, and dorsal pelage is dark brown with black guard hairs, paler flanks, while ventral pelage is white to red. Tail is much shorter than head-body length;it is dark above and paler below. There may be a visible dark eye-ring. Females have two pairs of mammae.

Habitat. [Lowland forests from sea level to 700 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Littersize is 1-2.

Activity patterns. Monckton’s Mosaic-tailed Rat is terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Monckton’s Mosaic-tailed Rat is widespread, and no major threats are known within its range.

Bibliography. Flannery (1995b), Menzies (1996), Rimmler (1936).