Niviventer fraternus (Robinson and Kloss 1916)

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 : 1421

Niviventer fraternus (Robinson and Kloss 1916)

[Niviventer] fraternus ( Robinson and Kloss 1916) , J. Str. Br. Roy. Asiat. Soc., 73: 373.

Type Locality: Indonesia, W Sumatra, Korinchi Peak , 4700 ft (1432 m).

Vernacular Names: Montane Sumatran Niviventer.

Synonyms: Niviventer atchinensis ( Sody 1941) .

Distribution: Montane forest formations along mountainous backbone of W Sumatra.

Discussion: Originally described as Epimys fraternus , but subsequently treated as a subspecies of Rattus rapit ( Chasen, 1940) , R. orbus ( Ellerman, 1941) , or Niviventer rapit (= Chasen’s R. rapit ; Musser, 1970 b; Corbet and Hill, 1992); the latter authorities also included the Bornean rapit and Malay Peninsula cameroni as subspecies. Niviventer fraternus is about same size or larger than N. rapit , but smaller in body size than N. cameroni , without a tufted tail, and has a wider zygomatic plate than either N. cameroni or N. rapit . Multivariate analyses of morphometric traits cluster N. fraternus tightly with N. fulvescens and its allies and not with either N. cameroni or N. rapit (Musser and Lunde, ms). Member of a murine cluster endemic to Sumatra (Musser, 1986; also see account of Maxomys hylomyoides ).