Rec. Aust. Mus. 21(7): 409. (24 June 1946).
Common name. Large New Guinea Spiny Rat.
Current name. Rattus praetor coenorum Thomas, 1922b; following subspecific arrangement tentatively proposed by Taylor et al. (1982). Taxonomic clarification of R. praetor coenorum from western New Guinea is needed (see Robins et al. 2014: 14).
Holotype. M.7195 by original designation. Male adult, skull, study skin, presented by Captain James T. Griffiths, registered April 1946, collection date not given.
Condition. Cranium and dentaries complete. Study skin: left pes is enlarged by a pathological deformity; left manus missing digit 2 (probably when live), missing tail tip; skin otherwise complete and in reasonable condition.
Type locality. Sansapor, on the north-west coast of the Vogelkop region, West Papua Province, Indonesia.
Paratype. M.7194 by original designation. Young male, skull, study skin, collection date not given, other data as per holotype.
Comments. Description apparently based on two specimens, with registration numbers cited for both in the original account.