Rattus mindorensis (Thomas 1898)
- Dataset
- Muridae
- Rank
- SPECIES
Classification
- kingdom
- Animalia
- phylum
- Chordata
- class
- Mammalia
- order
- Rodentia
- family
- Muridae
- genus
- Rattus
- species
- Rattus mindorensis
activity
Activity patterns. No information.
biology_ecology
Habitat. Montane forests at elevations of 1000 - 1500 m.
biology_ecology
Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.
breeding
Breeding. No information.
conservation
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Mindoro Mountain Rat is apparently not uncommon, but it might be threatened by deforestation dueto illegal logging on Mindoro, which generally occurs in lowlands outside of its preferred habitat. It is found in Mount Iglit National Park. Research is needed to understand its natural history, taxonomy, and conservation threats.
description
Descriptive notes. Head — body 190 mm, tail 163 mm, hindfoot 32 - 5 mm (from holotype). No specific data are available for body weight. The Mindoro Mountain Rat is medium-sized and very similar to the Malaysian Field Rat (R. tiomanicus). Pelage is soft, dense, and short. Dorsum is dark or blackish brown, highlighted with chestnut hues and covered with short black guard hairs. Venter is dark gray, washed with pale buff, although some individuals have dark slate-gray undersides; venter is not demarcated sharply from dorsum. Feet are black dorsally, with slightly lighter digits. Ears are short and covered with minute hairs, with patch of darker hairs around them; vibrissae are long. Tail is ¢. 86 % of head-body length, almost naked, and monocolored black. Skull is very similar to that of the Malaysian Field Rat. There are five pairs of mammae: one pectoral, one post-axillary, one abdominal, and two inguinal.
discussion
Rattus mindorensis is in the R. rattus species group; it is morphologically similar to R. tiomanicus but not closely related to other Philippine Rattus species. It could be an insular form of R. tiomanicus, although this requires more research. Monotypic.
distribution
Distribution. Mindoro I, Philippines.
food_feeding
Food and Feeding. No information.
materials_examined
Mount Dulangan, 5000 ft (= 1524 m), Mindoro Island, Philippines.
Name
- Synonyms
- Mus mindorensis Thomas 1898
- Homonyms
- Rattus mindorensis (Thomas 1898)
- Common names
- Mindoro Black Rat in English
- Mindoro Mountain Rat in English
- Mindoro Soft-furred Rat in English
- Rat de Mindoro in French
- Rata de montana de Mindoro in language.
- Schwarze Mindoro-Ratte in German