Southwestern Xanthurus Rat

conservation

Conservation: IUCN – Vulnerable as R. bontanus, Lower Risk (nt) as R. foramineus.

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

discussion

Discussion: Rattus xanthurus species group. Sody (1941) questionably included this species in Taeromys, Laurie and Hill (1954) and Musser (1984) treated it as a subspecies of R. xanthurus, but Musser and Holden (1991) contended that it is a distinct species most closely related to R. foramineus, which occurs in coastal lowlands of the southern end of the SW peninsula of Sulawesi and is represented only by four modern specimens (Sody, 1941) and subfossil fragments from a few localities (Musser, 1984; Musser and Holden, 1991). Recent morphometric analyses reveal that foramineus is a lowland population of R. bontanus, which has external and morphological traits that distinguish it from any other species in the R. xanthurus group of Sulawesi (Musser, ms). Sody described pelurus from Pulau Peleng as a subspecies of R. foramineus, but the Peleng Isl rat is a separate species (Musser and Holden, 1991; see that account).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

distribution

Distribution: SW Sulawesi: 600 - 2500 m on the slopes of Gunung Lampobatang and adjacent coastal lowlands.

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

materials_examined

Type Locality: Indonesia, SW Sulawesi, Mt Bonthain (Gunung Lampobatang), 2000 ft (610 m).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae