790.

Tondano Rat

Taeromys taerae

French: Rat-laineux de Sody / German: Tondano-Sulawesi-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de Tondano

Other common names: North-eastern Mountain Taeromys

Taxonomy. Rattus taerae Sody, 1932,

near Tondano, north-eastern Sulawesi, Lem- bean, Indonesia.

The exact relationship of 7. taerae within Taeromysis uncertain, but it is morphologically similar to 1. hamatus . Monotypic.

Distribution. NE Sulawesi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 195- 225 mm, tail 200-235 mm, hindfoot 40- 46 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Tondano Rat is large, with long and woolly ln Dorsum is speckled dark buffy gray; hairs have dark gray bases and are subterminally brownish, with light buff tips. Venter gray. Feet are dark brown dorsally and white on digits. Tail is short, black basally, and white for final two thirds. There are three pairs of mammae: one post-axillary and two inguinal.

Habitat. Tropical lowland evergreen rainforests at elevations of 600-800 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Tondano Rat is probably terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The Tondano Rat has restricted distribution and has not been collected since 1932. It is probably threatened by deforestation and hunting for bushmeat markets. More research is needed to fully understand its natural history, population status, taxonomy, and conservation threats.

Bibliography. Clayton & Kennerley (2016c), Corbet & Hill (1992), Fabre et al. (2013), Musser (1971b, 2014), Musser & Carleton (2005).