''Leptomys paulus'' is a small rodent belonging to the family
Muridae
The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia.
The name Muridae come ...
endemic to
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu
Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea).
It is a simplified version of ...
.
Description
''L. paulus'' has a head and body length of between 117 and 132 mm, and a tail length of between 138 and 163 mm. Its ears are 18 to 23 mm, dark brown in colour and have a few dark hairs, its feet are 31 to 36 mm . It can weigh up to 52 g.
Its thick and soft fur is dark reddish brown on
dorsal
Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to:
* Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism
* Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage
* Dorsal co ...
parts, yellowish on its sides and grayish white on the
ventral
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to unambiguously describe the anatomy of animals, including humans. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek language, Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. Th ...
parts. There is a hairless strip of skin that extends from the middle of the shoulders towards the forehead. It has long whiskers (60 mm) and white cheeks with a darker colour around the eyes. The tail is almost hairless with a white tip.
Habitat
The species has been observed in the tropical low-
montane
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
regions of eastern New Guinea, between 1,240 and 1,540 m.
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References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3830757
Leptomys
Rodents of New Guinea
Mammals described in 2008
Endemic fauna of New Guinea