Rattus koopmani Musser & Holden 1991

688.

Koopman'’s Peleng Island Rat

Rattus koopmani

French: Rat de Koopman / German: Koopman-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de Peleng de Koopman

Other common names: Koopman's Rat

Taxonomy. Rattus koopmani Musser & Holden, 1991,

“Pulau Peleng... (1°23°5, 123°14’E), the largest of the islands in Kepulauan Banggai, is separated from mainland Sulawesi by deepwater Selat Peleng,” Indonesia.

Rattus koopmani is in the R. rattus species group and closely related to R.hoffmanni, although further genetic studies are needed to fully understand its placement within thegroup. Monotypic.

Distribution. Peleng I, BanggaiIs, Indonesia.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 233 mm, tail 215 mm, ear 23 mm, hindfoot 45 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. Koopman'’s Peleng Island Ratis large and similar to Hoffmann’s Sulawesi Rat (R. hoffmanni). Pelage is moderately dense and harsh, with black guard hairs and soft spines. Dorsum is burnished dark brownish buff, paler on sides with pale gray underfur and mostly translucent spines, some with grayish black. Venter is dark gray, tinged with buff and softer but still has soft translucent spines. Chin, throat, and chest are stained reddish brown. Forefeet are dark brown dorsally, unpigmented ventrally and on digits; hindfeet are completely dark brown.Ears are short (shorter than on Hoffmann’s Sulawesi Rat), brownish black, and covered in short brown hairs; vibrissae are relatively long. Tail is ¢.92% of head-body length and dark brown, with short hair throughout. Cranium is larger than that of Hoffmann’s Sulawesi Rat. There are five pairs of mammae: one pectoral, one post-axillary, one abdominal, and two inguinal.

Habitat. Coastal plains and otherisland habitats.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Koopman’s Peleng Island Rat is probably terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Koopman’s Peleng Island Rat is known only from a single specimen collected in 1938, although the island in which it isfound is not well-sampled and it probably has a wider distribution throughout the island. Peleng Island has experienced extensive habitat loss due to logging, and it iscurrently unknown if Koopman'’s Peleng Island Rat is as adaptable as its mainland relative, Hoffmann’s Sulawesi Rat. Additional research is needed to fully understand its distribution, natural history, taxonomy, and conservation threats.

Bibliography. Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Holden (1991), Musser & Ruedas (2008a).