779.

Lesser Margareta Rat

Margaretamys parvus

French: Rat des fltaies / German: Kleine Margareta-Ratte / Spanish: Rata margarita menor

Other common names: Lesser Margaretamys

Taxonomy. Margaretamys parvus Musser, 1981,

Gunung Nokilalaki, 2256 m, central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Mt Nokilalaki and Mt Kani-no, C Sulawesi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 96- 114 mm, tail 154-184 mm, hindfoot 23 26 mm, ear 19-21 mm; weight 23-40 g. The Lesser Margareta Rat is much smaller than the Elegant Margareta Rat (M. eegans) and Beccari’s Margareta Rat ( M. beccarii) but has the longest tail relative to body size. Pelage is short, very dense, and soft. Upperparts are rich reddish brown, and there is conspicuous blackish brown mask onface. Underparts are dark grayish white in most specimens; a few havebuffy washed bellies. Vibrissae above eyes and muzzle are up to 55 mm. Ears are small and dark brown. Feet are similar to those of Beccari’s Margareta Rat but more delicate. Tail is unicolored dark brown, with distinct tuft; there is no indication of mottlingor white on tail. Juveniles are slightly paler than adults. Females have three pairs of mammae.

Habitat. Primary montane forests at elevations of 1800-2272 m. The Lesser Margareta Rat is presumably fairly common, but it isarboreal and difficult to trap without targeted effort. It has not been recorded from disturbed areas. Individuals have been trapped on the ground, on decaying tree trunks that bridge streams and ravines, in different levels in understory forest, and in lower parts of upper canopies.

Food and Feeding. The Lesser Margareta Rat eats fruits from palms ( Pandanus, Pandanaceae) and understory trees ( Ficus, Moraceae), moths, and orthopterans (e.g. cicadids, katydids, and crickets).

Breeding. Litters of Lesser Margareta Rats have 1-2 young.

Activity patterns. The Lesser Margareta Rat is terrestrial, scansorial, and arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Habitat loss due to shifting agriculture at higher elevations is a major threat to the Lesser Margareta Rat. Its very limited known distribution is within Lore Lindu National Park, but additional research is needed to determine ifit is more widely distributed.

Bibliography. Boitani et al. (2006), Mortelliti et al. (2012), Musser (1981a, 2014), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Ruedas (2008e).