Eastern New Guinea Rat

discussion

Williams (1997, 1999) identified Rattus mordax on the basis of subfossils of mandibles from the Pamwak archeological site on Manus. This is the sole reference that we know of to Rattus mordax occurring in the Admiralties. Flannery’s (1995 b) map shows no localities anywhere near these islands. In Williams’s (1997) table of mandibular bone and lower dental measurements, some specimens are identified as of Rattus mordax, certain others as of cf. Rattus mordax, and certain others as of Rattus sp. Various of these mandibles probably belong to Rattus detentus. Flannery (see Timm et al. 2016), in his examination of Williams’s specimens, reported only Rattus exulans and what is now known as Rattus detentus.

Marsupials And Rodents Of The Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea

discussion

Discussion: Rattus leucopus species group. Originally described by Thomas as a species, mordax had been treated as a subspecies of either leucopus, ringens, or ruber until it was reinstated by Taylor et al. (1982). Reviewed by Flannery (1995 a).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

distribution

Distribution: Papua New Guinea; Huon Peninsula and both sides of Owen Stanley Range on mainland, sea level to 2750 m (Taylor et al., 1982; Flannery, 1995 a). Also recorded from Goodenough, Fergusson, and Normanby Isls in the D'Entrecasteaux Arch.; Woodlark Isl in the Trobriand Arch.; Misima and Sudest in the Louisiade Arch.; the Conflict Group of islands; and Sideia Isl, off the tip of E Papua (Flannery, 1995 b).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

materials_examined

Type Locality: Papua New Guinea, Kumusi River (see Tate, 1951: 333, for comments).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae