Melomys matambuai, Flannery, Colgan & Trimble, 1994
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6887260 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6827206 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E30E275-3447-FFF6-E467-2B8C7E4F8F46 |
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treatment provided by |
Carolina |
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scientific name |
Melomys matambuai |
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Manus Island Mosaic-tailed Rat
French: Mélomys de Manus / German: Manus-Mosaikschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de cola moteada de Manus
Other common names: Manus Island Melomys, Manus Melomys
Taxonomy. Melomys matambuai Flannery, Colgan & Trimble, 1994 View in CoL ,
Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, Bismarck Archipelago, Papua New Guinea.
In original 1994 description, T. F. Flannery and colleagues included a genetic analysis showing that M. matambuai is distant from other Melomys taxa and found in a clade with M. rufescens . J. 1. Menzies in 1996 confirmed that this species belongs in the M. rufescens division. K. M. Helgen in 2003 found it close to M. paveli . Monotypic.
Distribution. Manus I, Papua New Guinea. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head-body 151 mm, tail 141, ear 18 mm, hindfeet 30-31 mm; weight 145 g. The ManusIsland Mosaic-tailed Rat is a large representative of Melomys genus. It is characterized by a soft, dense reddish-brown to tawny dorsal pelage, and a pure white ventral surface. Tail is uniformly black and shorter than head-body length. Females have two pairs of mammae.
Habitat. Recorded in forested areas, including a cacao plantation.
Food and Feeding. No information.
Breeding. No information.
Activity patterns. The Manus Island Mosaic-tailed Rat seems to be a largely arboreal species.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered in The IUCN Red Listbecause is known from a very small range (c.2354 km?) in a very fragmented habitat under many threats.
Bibliography. Flannery (1995b), Flannery et al. (1994), Helgen (2003), Menzies (1996).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
