Rattus pococki

711.

Pocock’s New Guinea Highland Rat

Rattus pococki

French: Rat de Pocock / German: Pocock-Neuguinea-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de altiplano de Nueva Guinea de Pocock

Other common names: Pocock’s Highland Rat

Taxonomy. Rattus niobe pococki Ellerman, 1941,

Mount Sumuri, 2500 m, Weyland Range, Province of Papua, West Papua (= Irian Jaya), Indonesia.

Rattus pococki has not been included in any

phylogenetic studies, although a specimen identified as R. niobe from the distribution of R. pocockiwas sister to a non-monophyletic lineage including R. niobe, R. verecundus, and R. mordax. More research needed to understand placement of R. pococki in Rattus. It was previously included in R.niobe but is recognized as a distinct species until further research into the R. niobe species complex is conducted. Monotypic.

Distribution. Central Cordillera of W & C New Guinea.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 127 mm, tail 126 mm, ear 17 mm, hindfoot 25 mm (from holotype). No specific data are available for body weight. Pocock’s New Guinea Highland Rat is very small and similar to butslightly larger than the Eastern New Guinea Mountain Rat (R. niobe). Pelage is soft and without spines. Dorsum is dark gray-brown, being nearly black with rusty tipped hairs and darker than the Eastern New Guinea Mountain Rat and the Western New Guinea Mountain Rat (R. arrogans). Dorsal pelage blends into ventral pelage. Venteris dark gray-brown, with cream to rufous-tipped hairs. Feet are lightly covered with silvery and brown hair dorsally. Ears are dark brown and relatively long; vibrissae are long. Tail is ¢.100% of head-body length and unicolored dark brown, with short tail hair. Skull has broader interorbital region and long incisive foramen. There are three pairs of mammae: one pectoral and two inguinal.

Habitat. Montane tropical forests at elevations of 1500-2500 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Pocock’s New Guinea Highland Rat has a large distribution and presumably large overall population. More research is needed to fully understand its natural history and conservation threats.

Bibliography. Aplin (2016k), Flannery (1995b), Helgen (2007a), Musser & Carleton (2005), Robins et al. (2014), Taylor, Calaby & Smith (1990), Taylor, Calaby & Van Deusen (1982).