Lesser Chiruromys

distribution

Distribution: Mainland Papua New Guinea; S side of Central Cordillera, from Lake Murray area in the Trans-Fly region (Western Province) east to the Kokoda Gap region near type locality; sea level to 1500 m (Flannery, 1990 b, 1995 a).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

materials_examined

Type Locality: Papua New Guinea, Central Province, Upper St. Joseph's River (= Angabunga River), Madeu, 50 m NE Hall Sound, 2000 - 3000 ft (610 - 915 m).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

activity

Activity patterns. Although the Lesser Tree Mouse can be locally common, it is rarely trapped on ground. Most specimens have been taken from nests in natural or modified tree hollows, and it ispossible that activity is more or less confined to canopy. A few have been captured by hand at night from understory shrubs and samplings, and there are a few instances where local landowners have reported the digging of individuals or groups from burrows.

Muridae

biology_ecology

Habitat. Geographic range correspondsto a particularly high rainfall zone, which supports evergreen tropical rainforest, including areas of lowland alluvial rainforest and swamp forest, lowland hill rainforest, and lower montane rainforests above c. 1000 m. Within this broad landscape, the species is recorded from both primary forests and secondary forests, and it may be limited mainly by availability of suitable tree hollows for nesting. Elevational range of modern specimens is from near sea level to 1500 m, with higher-elevation record at 2200 m from a contemporary owl roost deposit in a cave in Hela Province. Most records come from hill to lower montane elevations, but this probably reflects distribution of sampling effort. Not yet recorded from within extensive mangrove forest communities of lower Fly, Kikori and Purari River deltas.

Muridae