Rattus mindorensis Thomas 1898

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 : 1475

Rattus mindorensis Thomas 1898

Rattus mindorensis Thomas 1898 , Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond., 14: 402.

Type Locality: Philippines, Mindoro Isl, Mt Dulangan, 5000 ft (1524 m).

Vernacular Names: Mindoro Mountain Rat.

Synonyms: Rattus picinus (Hollister 1913) .

Distribution: Greater Mindoro Faunal Region. Endemic to highlands of Mindoro ( Philippines).

Conservation: IUCN – Vulnerable.

Discussion: Rattus rattus species group. Phylogenetically distant from other species of Rattus endemic to the Philippines ( Musser and Heaney, 1992). Morphologically closely related to Rattus tiomanicus , which is native to Malay Peninsula and islands on the Sunda Shelf, and possibly only an insular variant of that species ( Musser and Califia, 1982; Musser and Heaney, 1985; Musser, ms). Musser (1977 b) explained why picinus is a synonym. Murine fauna on Mindoro consists of Sundaic and Philippine elements, and R. mindorensis is a member of the former (see account of Anonymomys ).