Rattus burrus

662.

Nicobar Archipelago Rat

Rattus burrus

French: Rat des Nicobar / German: Nikobaren-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de Nicobar

Other common names: Nonsense Rat, Miller's Nicobar Rat

Taxonomy. Mus burrus G. S. Miller, 1902,

Trinkat Island, Nicobar Islands, India.

Phylogenetic placement of burrus within Rattus in unknown because it has not been included in any genetic studies; it may be related to R. tiomanicus or R. rattus. Monotypic.

Distribution. Trinkat, Little Nicobar, and Great NicobarIs, Nicobar Is, India.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 174-215 mm, tail 183-215 mm, ear 24 mm, hindfoot 36— 43 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Nicobar Archipelago Rat is a medium to large, with soft and long pelage and no spines. Dorsum is grizzled reddish brown, with gray underfur, becoming lighter on sides until blending into venter, which is creamy white or buff. Feet are brown dorsally. Ears are naked and dark brown;vibrissae are long. Tail is fairly short (c.100% of headbody length) and dark brown throughout. Skull is slightly smaller than in the Roof Rat (R. rattus). There are five pairs of mammae: two axillary and three inguinal pairs.

Habitat. Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests at elevations up to 100 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Nicobar Archipelago Ratis terrestrial and nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Estimated extent of occurrence of the Nicobar Archipelago Rat is only 2841 km*. There is almost nothing known about its natural history, taxonomy, or conservation threats, although a tsunami in 2004 seems to have been a major threat, prompting human expansion and habitat destruction; its population is apparently decreasing.

Bibliography. Agrawal (2000), Corbet & Hill (1992), Ellerman (1961), Johnsingh & Manjrekar (2015), Miller (1902), Molur (2016h), Molur et al. (2005), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Heaney (1985).