Melomys caurinus (Thomas, 1921)

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Muridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 536-884 : 693-694

257.

Short-tailed Talaud Mosaic-tailed Rat

Melomys caurinus

French: Mélomys a queue courte / German: Kurzschwanz-Talaud-Mosaikschwanzratte / Spanish: Rata de cola

moteada de Talaud de cola corta

Other common names: Short-tailed Talaud Melomys

Taxonomy. Uromys caurinus Thomas, 1921 ,

Pulau Karakelang, Kepulauan Talaud, In-donesia.

Initially placed in genus Uromys , M. caurinuswas transferred into Melomys by O. Thomas in 1922 and then placed in subgenus Melomys as a subspecies of M. leucogaster by H. Riummler in 1936 and 1938. G. H. H. Tate in 1951 recognized caurinus as a distinct species, as did T. F. Flannery in 1995 and J. I. Menzies in 1996. A recent geometric morphometric analysis of skulls resulted in P. H. Fabreand colleagues in 2017 supporting the proximity between M. leucogaster , M. caurinus , and M. talaudium . Monotypic.

Distribution. Karakelang I and SalebabuI, in Talaud Is, Indonesia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 176 mm,tail 136-137 mm, ear 15 mm, hindfoot 30 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. This robust Melomys species exhibits a cinnamon-brown dorsal pelage, paler laterally, and a white belly. Tail, which is pale brown, is shorter (75%) than head—body length. The Short-tailed Talaud Mosaic-tailed Rat is sympatric with the Long-tailed Talaud Mosaic-tailed Rat ( M.talaudium ), which has a longertail relative to head-body length.

Habitat. [Lowland forest.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Short-tailed Talaud Mosaic-tailed Rats are terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Shorttailed Talaud Mosaic-tailed Rat is known only from four specimens from twolocalities. Deforestation seems to be a major threat.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Fabre, Fitriana et al. (2017), Flannery (1995a), Menzies (1996), Rimmler (1936, 1938), Tate (1951), Thomas (1921i, 1922c).

Figures

Distribution. Karakelang I and SalebabuI, in Talaud Is, Indonesia.