Taeromys callitrichus (Jentink, 1879)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Muridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 536-884 : 875

785.

Lovely-haired Rat

Taeromys callitrichus

French: Rat-laineux de Jentink / German: Schonhaar-Sulawesi-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de pelo bonito

Other common names: Greater Taeromys

Taxonomy. Mus callitrichus Jentink, 1879 ,

Kakas, north-eastern Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Taeromys callitrichus is probably closely related to T. microbullatus , which together are most similar to 71. arcuatus and its undescribed relatives. Monotypic.

Distribution. NE peninsula and NE part of C Sulawesi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 200- 240 mm, tail 220-260 mm, ear 26-28 mm, hindfoot 44-54 mm; weight 290-363 g. The Lovely-haired Ratis large and stout-bodied—Ilargest in the genus. Pelage is soft, silky, and dense, with shortish dark guard hairs. Dorsum is dark brown, suffused with dark gray and speckled buff (hairs dark gray tipped with buff). Lips are white. Venter is dark gray, occasionally washed with buff (hairs dark gray dipped with buff or white). Hindfeet are long, slender, and dark brown. Ears are large, broad, rounded, and dark brown;vibrissae are long and brown, with white tips. Tail is 108% of head-body length and glistening, black for basalone-half and white for distal one-half. Skull is small, gracile, and smooth. There are three pairs of mammae: one post-axillary and two inguinal pairs.

Habitat. Tropical lowland evergreen and montane rainforests at elevations of 760-2260 m.

Food and Feeding. The Lovely-haired Rat eats fruit, ferns, leaves, and insects.

Breeding. Litters of Lovely-haired Rats have only one young.

Activity patterns. The Lovely-haired Ratis nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Lovelyhaired Rat is known from only a few scattered specimens;it is reportedly hard to capture with traditional traps. It has a relatively wide distribution; it is found in the Lore Lindu National Park and might occur in other protected areas.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Fabre et al. (2013), Maryanto et al. (2009), Musser (1970b, 1982a, 2014), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Newcomb (1983), Musser & Ruedas (2008f).

Figures

Distribution. NE peninsula and NE part of C Sulawesi.