Rattus steini Rummler 1935

• 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 steini; Jaya; Rata; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/6856408; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6856408

714. Stein’s New Guinea Rat Rattus steini French: Rat de Stein / German: Stein-Neuguinea-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de Nueva Guinea de Stein Other common names: Small Spiny Rat, Stein's Rat Taxonomy. Rattus leucopus steini Rimmler, 1935, Mount Kunupi, Weyland Range, Province of Papua, West Papua (= Irian Jaya), New Guinea. Rattus steini is part of a cladeincluding the Recent New Guinea species of Rattus, and it has been recovered as the sister species to R. novaeguineae, with R. praetor sister to this clade. Rattus steini was found to be highly paraphyletic with R. praetor in re-cent genetic studies, which might indicate that there are multiple species within what is currently recognized as R. steini. More research is needed to fully understand placement of R. stein: in Rattus and to determine number of taxa it represents. Four subspecies recognized. Subspecies and Distribution. R.s.steiniRimmler,1935—WeylandandNassauranges,SWNewGuinea. R.s.baliemensisJ.M.Taylor&Calaby,1982—SnowMts,WNewGuinea. R.s.foersteriRimmler,1935—HuonPeninsula,NENewGuinea. R. s. hageni Troughton, 1937 — C & E New Guinea, including the Central Cordillera from Star Mts E to Bowutu Mts and the Adelbert Range. Descriptive notes. Head—body 140-193 mm, tail 140-193 mm, ear 16-21 mm, hindfoot 33-37 mm; weight 110-220 g. Stein’s New Guinea Rat is medium-sized and smaller than the Large New Guinea Spiny Rat (R. praetor), with narrower and lighter feet. Pelage is soft, although larger specimens have sparsely distributed, thin, and flexible spines. Dorsum is grizzled dark brown, with rufous-tipped hairs, gray underfur, and fine guard hairs distributed throughout, being more conspicuous on rump.Juveniles have less developed spines and guard hairs and more subdued rufous-tipped hairs (subspecies steini and baliemensis), more somber with no spines (foersteri), and softer and darker with lighter hair tips and occasionally with pectoral spotting (hageni). Venteris gray, with yellowish bufftipped fur, often with white pectoral spot, and sharply ...