Melomys capensis Tate 1951

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 : 1376

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.7316535
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/3CC58FBA-223C-8532-0066-2A32818FEF31
treatment provided by	Guido
scientific name	Melomys capensis Tate 1951
status

Treatment

Melomys capensis Tate 1951 , Bull. Am. Mus . Nat. Hist., 97: 295.

Type Locality: Australia, Queensland, Nesbit River, Rocky Scrub (east of Coen), 1500 ft (457 m).

Vernacular Names: Cape York Melomys.

Distribution: Australia, Queensland, Iron and McIlwraith Ranges of Cape York (north of Cooktown).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Originally described as a subspecies of M. cervinipes by Tate (1951:295), but separated as a distinct species by Baverstock et al. (1980) based on differences in blood proteins; otherwise, M. capensis and M. cervinipes are similar in morphological traits and body size ( Watts and Aslin, 1981:82). Other allozymic results presented by Baverstock et al. (1981). Reviewed by Leung (1995), who also presented the first detailed ecological study of the species ( Leung, 1999 a).