Rattus lugens

682.

Mentawai Archipelago Rat

Rattus lugens

French: Rat des Mentawai / German: Mentawai-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de Mentawai

Other common names: Mentawai Rat

Taxonomy. Mus lugens G. S. Miller, 1903,

Pulau UtaraPagai (= North Pagai Island),

Kepulauan Mentawai, Indonesia.

Rattus lugens is morphologically allied with

R. adustus and R. simalurensis, which together seem to be related to R. tiomanicus, being part of the R. rattus species group. Monotypic.

Distribution. Siberut, Sipora, North Pagai, and South Pagai Is, Mentawai Archipelago, off W Sumatra.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 226 mm,tail 210 mm, hindfoot 41 mm (from holotype). No specific data are available for body weight. The Mentawai Archipelago Rat is large and distinctive, similar to the Simalur Archipelago Rat (R. simalurensis), being darker, less buffy, and larger. Pelage is dense, fine, and moderately coarse. Dorsum is brownish black, lighter and buffier on sides and blending into ventral pelage. Venteris slate gray, with rusty brown streak on chest. Feet are dull rusty brown dorsally. Ears are blackish brown. Tail is ¢.93% of head-body length and unicolored blackish brown. Skull is larger and narrower than on the Simalur Archipelago Rat. There are three pairs of mammae.

Habitat. Tropical lowland evergreen forest.

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 Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Habitat of the Mentawai Archipelago Rat has been largely affected by deforestation from logging and agricultural expansion, and competition with invasive Rattus species is probably a threat. It has a restricted distribution (13,317 km?) and is not found in any protected areas. Additional research is needed to fully understand its natural history, taxonomy, and conservation threats.

Bibliography. Clayton (2016f), Miller (1903b), Musser (1986), Musser & Califia (1982), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Heaney (1985).