792.

Tate’s Sulawesian Shrew Rat

Tateomys rhinogradoides

French: Rat de Tate / German: Tate-Sulawesi-Spitzmausratte / Spanish: Rata musarana de Célebes de Tate

Other common names: Tate's Shrew Rat

Taxonomy. Tateomys rhinogradoides Musser, 1969,

“Latimodjong Gebirge, southwest-ern Celebes [= Sulawesi, Indonesia] ... at an elevation of 2200 meters.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to C Sulawesi, known only from Mt Nokilalaki, Mt Rorekatimbo, Mt Tokala, Mt Gandangdewata, and Mt Latimodjong.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 137- 156 mm, tail 152-170 mm, ear 17-24 mm, hindfoot 36-38 mm; weight 88-98 g. Tate’s Sulawesian Shrew Ratis characterized by dark brown body, with grayish buff underparts. Pelt is short and dense and has velvet taint. Tail is longer than head-body length. Eyes are rather small. Forefeet are robust, with large cylindrical claws nearly as long as their digits; hindfeet are slender and long, with long digits and claws. Skull is typical, with long and narrow rostrum, delicately build zygomatic arch, and basicranium. Nasal and premaxillary form short tube projecting beyond incisors; interorbital region is wide and inflated; and braincase is rounded and inflated. Reduced zygomatic plate is placed above first upper molars. Squamosal part of zygomatic arch is placed just in front of upper part of tympanic bullae and not as close to bulla as on the Diurnal Sulawesian Shrew Rat (Melasmothrix naso) and the Long-tailed Sulawesian Shrew Rat (Tateomys macrocercus). Basicranium is elongated. Pterygoid regionis elongated, with narrow mesopterygoid and pterygoid regions. Tympanic bullae are small, with large external auditory meatus and elongated narrow eustachian tube. Orthodont upper incisors are short, and proodont lower incisors are long. Incisor enamel is unpigmented, and upper incisors have V-shaped cutting edge tips. Cheek teeth are low crowned, with basins and simplified cusp topography. There are five roots for M', four for M?, and three for M’ and two roots for m,, two for m,, and two for m,. There are two pairs of inguinal mammae.

Habitat. High-elevation mossy montane forest habitats at elevations of 2110-2600 m.

Food and Feeding. Based on feeding trials and stomach contents, Tate’s Sulawesian Shrew Rat eats only earthworms.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Tate’s Sulawesian Shrew Rat is nocturnal and likely terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Very little is known aboutits abundance and distribution of Tate’s Sulawesian Shrew Rat. More surveys are required for this highland Sulawesi endemic.

Distribution. Known only from type locality on C Halmahera I, Indonesia.

Bibliography. Achmadi et al. (2014), Maryanto et al. (2009), Musser (1969b, 1982a), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Durden (2002), Rowe et al. (2016a).