789. Sulawesi Forest Rat Taeromys punicans French: Rat-laineux de Hollister / German: Rotliche Sulawesi-Ratte / Spanish: Rata de bosque de Célebes Other common names: Reddish-furred Taeromys Taxonomy. Rattus punicans G. S. Miller & Hollister, 1921, Pinedapa, 100 ft (30 m), central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Taeromys punicans is known from subfossil remains in south-western Sulawesi, indicating that it was once much more extensively distributed and might still be. Monotypic. Distribution. Known only from type locality in C Sulawesi. Descriptive notes. Head-body 185— 207 mm, tail 156-185 mm, ear 17-4- 19-6 mm, hindfoot 45-47 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Sulawesi Forest Rat is medium-sized and distinctive, with comparatively short and wavy pelage and short dark guard hairs. Dorsum is chestnut brown or rich reddish brown (older specimen is reddish all around), with light slate or brownish gray underfur and hair bases. Venter is ocherous, with hairs having pale gray bases. Feet are brown. Tail is only ¢.85% of head-body length, unicolored blackish brown, and sparsely furred. Skull is elongated. Habitat. Primary lowland tropical evergreen rainforests. Food and Feeding. No information. Breeding. No information. Activity patterns. The Sulawesi Forest Rat is probably terrestrial and nocturnal. Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information. Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Sulawesi Forest Rat is known from only two specimens. Althoughit is claimed to occur in Lore Lindu National Park (a montane area), all identifiable specimens, including subfossil remains, are from lowland areas. More research is needed to fully understand its natural history, taxonomy, and conservation threats. Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Fabre et al. (2013), Miller & Hollister (1921), Musser (2014), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Ruedas (2008h).

Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Muridae, pp. 536-884 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 876, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6887260