Rattus richardsoni Tate 1949

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Muridae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 1189-1531 : 1487

Rattus richardsoni Tate 1949

Rattus richardsoni Tate 1949 , Am. Mus . Novit., 1421: 1.

Type Locality: New Guinea, Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya), northern slopes of Snow Mtns (Pegunungan Maoke), near Lake Habbema, 3225 m.

Vernacular Names: Richardson's New Guinea Mountain Rat.

Distribution: New Guinea, Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya); recorded from three areas high in the Snow Mtns: Lake Habbema region, Mt Wilhelmina, and Mt Jaya (Carstensz Range), 3225-4500 m (Flannery, 1995 a; Taylor et al., 1982).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc) as Stenomys richardsoni .

Discussion: Rattus leucopus species group. Described as an unusual and distinctive member of Rattus , but later provisionally associated with a " niobe group" ( Tate, 1951), a relationship supported by multivariate analyses of morphometric variables ( Taylor et al., 1982). Most specimens are from tussock grassland and tundra-like habitat (mainly rock or gravel interspersed with mats of herbs and grass tufts), regions that are cold and wet throughout the year (Flannery, 1995 a; Taylor et al., 1982). Taylor et al. (1982) included omichlodes , but Flannery (1995 a) correctly removed it from synonymy (see that account).