644.

South China White-bellied Rat

Niviventer huang

French: Rat jaune / German: Fukien-WeiRRbauchratte / Spanish: Rata de vientre blanco de China meridional

Other common names: South China Niviventer

Taxonomy. Mus huang Bonhote, 1905,

“Kuatun, N.W. Fokien,” China.

Recent phylogenetic and morphological analyses split N. fulvescens into three species, N. fulvescens, N. huang, and N. bukit that are recognized here even though populations in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos still need to be assessed and distributional limits need clarification. A fourth species, N. ling, was also recognized but is included in N. huang here, pending further studies to validate it. Niviventer huang probably represents multiple species (at least two), but taxonomic and distributional confusion need clarification. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE China (including Hainan I and Hong Kong), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam (including Con Son I), and Cambodia (distributional limits need clarification).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 119-127 mm, tail c.151 mm on average, ear 20-23 mm, hindfoot 28-32 mm; weight 60-135 g. The South China White-bellied Rat is small, but a little larger than the Indochinese White-bellied Rat (N. fulvescens). Pelage is soft. Dorsum is bright reddish brown, dominated by fulvous yellowish, orange, and rusty tints (in contrast to the Indochinese White-bellied Rat). Ventrally, hindlegs and front legs have light brown bands dorsally that extend to white toes. Venter is pure white and sharply demarcated from dorsum. Ears are dark brown; vibrissae are long. Tail is ¢.123% of head-body length, rigid, and sharply bicolored at end, and it lacks dark or white tip but is fully furred. Feet are long and slender with five digits,fifth reduced with small claw. Skull is oblong and narrow and hard to distinguish from that of the Indochinese White-bellied Rat. There are four pairs of mammae: one pectoral, one post-axillary, one abdominal, and one inguinal. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 46, FN = 61 in males, and FN = 60 in females.

Habitat. Subtropical evergreen and broadleaf forests.

Food and Feeding. The South China White-bellied Rat eats seeds, berries, insects, and possibly green vegetation.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The South China White-bellied Rat is nocturnal and mostly terrestrial, sometimes climbing vines.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The South China Whitebellied Rat was only recently recognized as a distinct species. It has a wide distribution and probably large overall population, but it is in need of focused research on its natural history to understand any conservation threats.

Bibliography. Balakirev et al. (2011), Duncan et al. (1974), Jing Meidong et al. (2007), Lu Liang et al. (2015), Molur et al. (2005), Musser (1981a), Musser & Carleton (2005), Smith & Yan Xie (2008).