Sommer's Sulawesi rat (''Sommeromys macrorhinos'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

in 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 ...

from

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

. It is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Sommeromys'' and was described by Musser & Durden in 2002.

Distribution

''S. macrorhinos'' is known from only one specimen, AMNH 226956 (

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (abbreviated as AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. In Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 26 inter ...

, catalogue number 226956). This specimen was caught at 2400 m above sea level on Gunung Tokala, a mountain between the Rampi and Seko valleys in the province of Sulawesi Tengah, in primary mossy forest which was somewhat disturbed by human activities. The describers expected that the genus also occurs in other high montane forests of Sulawesi. It is also found on Mount Gandangdewata,

West Sulawesi West Sulawesi ( id, Sulawesi Barat) is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the western side of Sulawesi island. It covers an area of 16,787.18 km2, and its capital is Mamuju. The 2010 Census recorded a population of 1,158,651, while t ...

Discovery

On the first of August, 1973, the NAMRU team that would discover ''S. macrorhinos'' reached Gunung Tokala. Despite a heavy, cold rain, someone set some Victor rat traps and found one specimen each of '' Tateomys rhinogradoides'' and ''S. macrorhinos'' the following day. On the specimen of ''S. macrorhinos'', a louse was found, which was also a new species, '' Hoplopleura sommeri''. Sommer's Sulawesi rat was named after Helmut G. Sommer, Scientific Technician at the American Museum of Natural History.

Characteristics

Sommer's Sulawesi rat is extremely small and has a long muzzle and an extremely long tail, both absolutely and relatively. It mainly feeds on insects. The stomach of the only known specimen contained some

nematodes The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhabiting a broa ...

, fly eggs, and fragments of insects. Species of ''

Bunomys ''Bunomys'' is a genus of rodent from Sulawesi and Buton Island. Currently, eight species are recognised in two species-groups. Species Genus ''Bunomys'' ''chrysocomus''-group: * Yellow-haired hill rat, ''Bunomys chrysocomus'' Hoffmann, 1887 * ...

'', ''

Paruromys The Sulawesi giant rat (''Paruromys dominator'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is monotypic in the genus ''Paruromys''. The species is endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia, where it inhabits forests at elevations from sea level to ...

'', and ''

Taeromys ''Taeromys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae found exclusively in Sulawesi, Indonesia. It contains the following species: * Salokko rat (''Taeromys arcuatus'') * Lovely-haired rat (''Taeromys callitrichus'') * Celebes rat (''Taer ...

'' do not share the diagnostic characteristics of ''Sommeromys'' and are larger. ''

Haeromys ''Haeromys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Southeast Asia. It contains the following species: * Ranee mouse (''Haeromys margarettae'') * Minahassa ranee mouse The Minahassa ranee mouse (''Haeromys minahassae'') is a sp ...

'' species are smaller (head-body 62–78 mm, tail up to 133 mm). ''Lenomys'' and ''

Eropeplus The Sulawesi soft-furred rat (''Eropeplus canus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only species in the genus ''Eropeplus''. It is found only in Indonesia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest. It is t ...

'' species are much bigger (up to 301 and 255 mm, respectively), and have a tail which is as long as head-body (''

Lenomys ''Lenomys'' is a genus of rodent endemic to Sulawesi. It contains the living trefoil-toothed giant rat ''(Lenomys meyeri)'' and the extinct ''Lenomys grovesi''. References

Rodent genera Mammal genera with one living species Taxa named ...

'') or somewhat longer (''

''). ''

Margaretamys ''Margaretamys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Up until 1973, it was known from only few examples of one species. Then Guy G. Musser collected more examples of this species during his ...

'' species are somewhat larger (96–197 mm). ''

Echiothrix ''Echiothrix'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of ove ...

'' is much larger (up to 225 mm), has a prolonged muzzle and prolonged rostra and a bicolored tail (up to 258 mm). '' Melasmothrix'' has a dark chestnut fur, a short tail and paws and long claws. '' Tateomys rhinogradoides'' is larger, with a dark, brownish grey pelage, robust hind feet, and a long tail. '' T. macrocercus'' is smaller than ''T. rhinogradoides'', has a similar fur colour, but has an extremely long tail, long hind feet and narrow but long claws on the hind feet. '' Crunomys celebensis'' has a shorter and broader rostrum. Measurements (all in mm):

Relationships

According to the discoverers, ''S. macrorhinos'' is a member of the so-called " Old Endemics " of Sulawesi and the Philippines. It is especially related to ''

Crunomys ''Crunomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae native to the Philippines and Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest islan ...

'', which lives on both Sulawesi and the Philippines and the Philippine ''

Archboldomys ''Archboldomys'', the shrew-mice, are a genus of rodents in the family Muridae. They are carnivores that feed on invertebrates much like shrews do. An apparently smaller relatives of the true shrew-rats ''Chrotomys'' and '' Rhynchomys'', ''Archbo ...

''. The '' Melasmothrix''-''

Tateomys ''Tateomys'' is a genus of rodent from Sulawesi. Both species have been classified as vulnerable by IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ...

'' group may also be related.

References

*Musser, G.G. & Durden, L.A. 2002. Sulawesi rodents: description of a new genus and species of Murinae (Muridae, Rodentia) and its parasitic new species of sucking louse (Insecta, Anoplura). ''American Museum Novitates'' 3368:1-50.

External links

PDF file of the original description of ''Sommeromys macrorhinos''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q146442 Sulawesi rat, Sommer's Old World rats and mice Sulawesi rat, Sommer's Sulawesi rat, Sommer's Mammals described in 2002