Paramelomys rubex (Thomas 1922)

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 : 1434

Paramelomys rubex (Thomas 1922)

[Melomys] rubex Thomas 1922 , Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 9, 9: 263.

Type Locality: New Guinea, Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya), Mamberano River, Doormanpad-bivak, 1410 m.

Vernacular Names: Mountain Paramelomys.

Synonyms: Paramelomys alleni (Rümmler 1935) ; Paramelomys arfakiensis (Rümmler 1935) ; Paramelomys clarus (Rümmler 1935) ; Paramelomys pohlei (Rümmler 1935) ; Paramelomys rutilus (Rümmler 1935) ; Paramelomys shawi ( Tate and Archbold 1935) ; Paramelomys stresemanni (Rümmler 1935) ; Paramelomys tafa ( Tate and Archbold 1935) .

Distribution: New Guinea; montane forests in the Central Cordillera from the Arfak Mtns on the Vogelkop of W Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya) to Mt Dayman at the end of the Owen Stanley Range in E Papua New Guinea; also in the N coastal Torricelli Mtns and Huon Peninsula; altitudinal range, 900-3000 m (specimens we examined; Menzies, 1996; see map in Flannery, 1995 a).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc) as Melomys rubex .

Discussion: The many names applied to P. rubex reflect morphological variation among samples that is concordant with interrupted highland distributions ( Menzies, 1996, and our study of specimens in various museums). Menzies (1996) revised the species and earlier ( Menzies, 1974) commented on the status of some names associated with P. rubex .