Indochinese Mountain Niviventer

distribution

Distribution: Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Southern Myanmar (recorded in Mt. Mulayit, Kayin State and possibly distributed in the Central area)

Mammals of Myanmar: an annotated checklist

vernacular_names

Common name: Indochinese Mountain White-bellied Rat, Tenasserim White-bellied Rat

Mammals of Myanmar: an annotated checklist

discussion

Discussion: Originally described as a species, tenaster was later arranged as a subspecies of N. cremoriventer (Ellerman, 1941, 1961; Ellerman and Morrison-Scott, 1951) until the type specimens were shown to represent a separate species (Musser, 1973 c, 1981 b). The large-bodied and montane N. tenaster is morphometrically most closely related to N. confucianus among species of Niviventer (Musser and Lunde, ms). Analysis of mtDNA cytochrome b sequences points to N. coninga as the close ally of N. tenaster, and clusters both within a monophyletic clade also containing N. confucianus and N. culturatus (J. L. Patton, in litt., 2000; N. fulvescens and N. langbianis were the only other Niviventer sampled). Niviventer tenaster is restricted to montane habitats in Indochina mostly beyond the range of N. confucianus, and is sympatric in some places with N. fulvescens and N. langbianis (Lunde et al., 2003 b; Musser, 1981 b; specimens in AMNH and IEBR) In NE Vietnam, N. tenaster occurs on the same mountain (Fan Si Pan) as N. confucianus, but at lower montane altitudes (Musser and Lunde, ms). Mountains in N Burma, where N. tenaster might also be expected, are instead occupied by N. confucianus

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

distribution

Distribution: Mountains of WC (Mt Victoria) and S (Mulayit Taung) Burma, NW Thailand (Doi Pui and Doi Suthep, Chiengmai Province), S Cambodia (Elephant Mtns), S Laos, Vietnam, and in China in the Tengchong region of W Yunnan (east of the Salween River bordering N Burma; specimens in IZAS, D. Lunde, in litt., 2004); also on Hainan Isl off southern coast of China; probably occurs in mountains of N Laos. Range primarily derived from specimens identified by Musser in AMNH, BMNH, FMNH, IEBR, USNM, and ZMA; also see Lunde et al. (2003 b).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae