Rattus tanezumi Temminck 1844

Rattus tanezumi Temminck, 1844 In Siebold, Temminck, and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Arnz et Socii, Lugduni Batavorum, p. 51.

TYPE LOCALITY: Japan, possibly from near Nagasaki on Kyushu Isl (see Jones and Johnson, 1965).

DISTRIBUTION: Apparently indigenous to SE Asia, from E Afghanistan through highlands of Nepal and N India into S and C China (incl. Hainan Isl), Korea, and mainland Indochina (incl. offshore islands) south to Isthmus of Kra; also probably native to Mergui Arch., Andaman Isls, and some of the Nicobar Isls; also in SW peninsular India. Whether native or introduced to Taiwan and Japan is unknown (but see Yosida and Harada, 1985). Most likely introduced to the Malay Peninsula and islands on the Sunda Shelf (Medway and Yong, 1976) and nearby archipelagos just off of the Shelf, including the Mentawais (Musser and Califia, 1982; Musser and Newcomb, 1983). Certainly introduced to the Cocos-Keeling Isls (Musser and Califia, 1982), the Philippines (Musser, 1977«), Sulawesi (Musser and Holden, 1991), and numerous islands east through the Moluccas and Nusa Tenggara (Musser, 1970«, 1972, 1981 c) to W New Guinea (Sody, 1941), and farther east through Micronesia to islands of Eniwetok and Fiji (Johnson, 1962«, b), but not to the Samoas where R. rattus occurs (Yosida et al., 1985).

SYNONYMS: alangensis, amboinensis, andamanensis, argyraceus, auroreus, barussanoides, benguetensis, bhotia, brevicaudus Chakraborty, 1975, brevicaudus Kuroda, 1952; brunneus, bullocki, burrulus, coloratus, dammermani, dentatus, diardii, exsul, flavipectus, flebilis, fortunatus, germaini, griseiventer, holchu, insulanus, kadanus, keelingensis, kelleri, khyensis, kramensis, lalolis, lanensis, longicaudus, lontaris, macmillani, makassarius, makensis, mansorius, masaretes, mesanis, mindanensis, moheius, molliculus, moluccarius, neglectus, nezumi, obiensis, ouangthomae, palelae, palembang, panjius, pannellus, pannosus, pelengensis, pipidonis, poenitentiarii, portus, povolnyi, pulliventer, rangensis, robiginosus, robonsoni, robustulus, samati, santalum, sapoensis, septicus, sladeni, sumbae, tablasi, talaudensis, tatkonensis, thai, tikos, tistae, toxi, turbidus, yeni, yunnanensis, wroughtoni, zamboangae (see Ellerman, 1941; Ellerman and MorrisonScott, 1951; Johnson, 1962b; Jones and Johnson, 1965; Laurie and Hill, 1954; Musser, 1970«, 1972, 1977«; Musser and Califia, 1982; Musser and Holden, 1991; Musser and Newcomb, 1983, 1985; Sody, 1941).

COMMENTS: The authority is usually cited as 1845, but was published in 1844; see Holthuis and Sakai (1970). The name tanezumi is the oldest for the 2N=42 group of Asian houserats that is distinguished from the 2N =38 /40 R. rattus not only by chromosomal characters but also by morphological and biochemical traits (see account of R. rattus ). The indigenous range is generally north and east of peninsular India, but in Mysore State of SW India, the two chromosomal types (wroughtoni, 2N=42, and rufescens, 2N=38) occur together (Lakhotia et al., 1973; Niethammer, 1975). Nature of the specific relationship between R. rattus and R. tanezumi on the Indian subcontinent where indigenous ranges are either parapatric or overlap still requires resolution. Phallic morphology of Chinese flavipectus described by Yang and Fang (1988) in context of assessing phylogenetic relationships among Chinese murines.