Rattus tiomanicus

• 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 tiomanicus; Rattus rattus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6868959; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/1E30E27534CFFF7EE19C2A25707681BB

685. Malaysian Field Rat Rattus tiomanicus French: Rat de Tioman / German: Malaiische Feldratte / Spanish: Rata de campo de Malasia Other common names: Malayan Field Rat, Tioman Rat Taxonomy. Mus tiomanicus G. S. Miller, 1900, “Tioman Island [Pahang, Malaysia].” Rattus tiomanicus 1s sister to R.sakeratensis and Lineage IV of R. tanezumi within the rattus clade in the R. rattus species group (representing Lineage VI, see R. rattus and R. tanezumi). A specimen of R. baluensis included in a recent genetic study clustered in R. tiomanicus, which could indicate that R. baluensis is better included in R.tiomanicus. R. simalurensis might also be included in R.tiomanicus as an island variant, although further revision is needed. Rattus tiomanicus has substantial geographical variation, and it might represent multiple species or at least subspecies. Subspecific taxonomy requires further investigation. Distribution. Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Palawan (and adjacent Bancalan, Arena, Busuanga, and Calauit Is), Borneo, Java, Bali, many smaller offshore Is (Tioman, Enggano, Maratua Archipelago, Panjang, Rabu Rabu, Sangka Laki, Bilang Bilangan, Eraban, and Miang Besar), and perhaps Busuanga I. Descriptive notes. Head-body 140-190 mm, tail 150-200 mm, ear 20-4 mm, hindfoot 28-35 mm; weight 55-150 g. The Malaysian Field Rat is medium-sized, with sleek and smooth pelage and short stiff spines and shortish black guard hairs throughout, but shorter than those of the Roof Rat (R. rattus). Dorsum is grizzled olive-brown to reddish brown, being variable between populations and becoming lighter on sides. Venter is white with buffy white hair tips or grayish white with gray-tipped hairs; venteris demarcated from dorsum but notsharply. Feet are broad and completely white. Ears are long and lighter than dorsum, being lightly furred; vibrissae are long. Tail is 95-120% of head-body length and unicolored dark brownish black. Skull is long, with relatively thin rostrum. The pinworm Syphacia muris has been recorded from the Malaysian Field Rat. ...