Rattus morotaiensis Kellogg 1945

• Main Authors: Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Lynx Edicions 2017
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Chordata; Mammalia; Rodentia; Muridae; Rattus; Rattus morotaiensis; Rata; Flat Top; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6788502; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6788502

697. Halmahara Rat Rattus morotaiensis French: Rat de Morotai / German: Molukken-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de Halmahara Other common names: Moluccan Prehensile-tailed Rat Taxonomy. Rattus morotaiensis Kellogg, 1945, “Morotai Island, Gilolo Group, Netherlands East Indies [= Indonesia].” This species is monotypic. Distribution. Morotai, Halmahera, and Bacan Is, Moluccas, Indonesia, and perhaps surrounding islands in entire archipelago (e.g. Ternate). Descriptive notes. Head-body 120-215 mm, tail 165-224 mm, ear 17-22 mm, hindfoot 30-41 mm; weight 86-159 g. The Halmahara Rat is mediumtolarge-sized, with spiny fur and dark rufous brown color.It is characterized by dark tail 109-126%of head-body length, scantily haired, and slightly tufted at tip; long hindfeet relative to head-body length; palatal bridge moderately extending beyond M’; well-developed postorbital ridge; temporal ridge developed toward nuchal crest; moderately wide zygomatic notch; short and narrow rostrum; laterally, space between zygomatic root and maxilla and sphenoid bones; nearly flat top of skull laterally between nasal and occipital (or slightly curved between interparietal and frontal); zygomatic arch laterally up to level of upper molar row; posterior palatine foramina placed between M? and M?; shortjugular process; in palatal view, squamosal root of zygomatic arch position slightly overlapping tympanic bulla; in palatal view, zygomatic root of zygomatic arch not reaching or just overlapping with level of M'; very short eustachian tube; post-glenoid vacuity fused with middle lacerate foramen; basisphenoid that seems to be suspended in spheno-palatine vacuity; posteriorly, short incisive foramina that reach front of M' or not, depending of specimen; angular process not extending after posterior part ofarticulation condyle and not very developed; orange and orthodont incisors; narrow incisor blade, inferior toits longest basal width; no cusp t7 on M'; postererocone present on M' (and more developed on all specimens from Halmahera); cusp t3 on M? ...