181.

Luzon Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat

Crateromys schadenbergi

French: Crateromys de Schadenberg / German: Schadenberg-Borkenratte / Spanish: Rata de cola peluda de Luzon

Other common names: Giant Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat, Luzon Crateromys

Taxonomy. Phloemys schadenbergi A. B. Meyer, 1895,

Mt. Data, Luzon Island, Philippines .

First considered to belong in genus Phloemys. Similar to C. heaneyi but there are some differences in size and morphology. Monotypic.

Distribution. Cordillera Central of N Luzon 1, Philippines.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 303-374 mm, tail 300-390 mm, ear 30-32 mm, hindfoot 72-73 mm; weight 1.3-1.5 kg.

The Luzon Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat is a large and slender bodied rodent with long,soft, dense flowing fur over its entire body and a broad head, being the largest species of Crateromys . Pelageis highly variable, including a range of white, piebald, gray, black, and black and brown morphs, usually being entirely black to dark brown or grayish dorsally and ventrally including the tail, consisting of woolly underfur and straight to wavy guard hairs, although many individuals have patches of white or grayish white on the head or forelimbs or a band of white over the shoulders and entire forelimbs or a combination of both. Some individuals have white ventral pelage, although an iron-gray coloration with dark gray sides is more typical. Tail is longer than or equal (100-105%) than head-body length and completely covered in long, flowing black hair like the dorsal pelage. Ears are small and covered in black fur, sometimes being surrounded by a white patch. Vibrissae are long and dark. Feet are broad and furred dorsally with slender claws and digits well adapted for grasping. Feet are usually the same color as dorsal pelage, although forefeet can white or grayish white. Skull is large with a long incisive foramin, a very long alveolar length, and a swollen nasolacrimal capsule forming a large bulge on either side of the rostrum which is less swollen in the Dinagat Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat ( C. australis). Females have two pairs of mammae, both inguinal, and a elongated urinary papilla that looks like a penis sheath, as in all other cloud rats within Phloeomyini.

Habitat. Mountain forests (mossy forest and pine forest) at elevations of 2000-2500 m.

Food and Feeding. Diet is composed of tender vegetation and buds.

Breeding. Females give birth to one or two young. In captivity, Luzon Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat are reported to live up to four years.

Activity patterns. The Luzon Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat is nocturnal and primarily arboreal. During the day, it rests in holes in trees or between their roots, and it is apparently most active after sunset.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Luzon Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat is probably mainly solitary or found in mating pairs or with juveniles, although this has yet to be confirmed. They are reported to make strange, extremely shrill calls that are almost insect like; the purpose of this call is unknown.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Occurs over a very small and fragmented distribution, where it suffers many threats including severe deforestation. It is also hunted for its meat or occasionally to be kept as a pet. In northern and southern Banaue, Igorot hunters report that it is the most hunted animal there, although it isgenerally reported as common by the natives despite the substantial hunting pressure. Fur of the Luzon Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat is somewhat viewed as attractive and the animalis hunted for its pelt to make hats and other goods as well. The species has apparently become locally extinct on Mount Data, whereit reportedly disappeared by 1946.

Bibliography. Gonzales & Kennedy (1996), Heaney, Balete, Dolar et al. (1998), Heaney, Balete & Rickart (2016), Heaney, Balete, Rosell-Ambal, Tabaranza, Ong, Ruedas & Oliver (2008), Jones, M.L. (1982), Musser & Gordon (1981), Rabor (1955), Sanborn (1952a), Oliver et al. (1993).