781.

Giant Sulawesi Rat

Paruromys dominator

French: Rat géant / German: Sulawesi-Riesenratte / Spanish: Rata de Célebes gigante

Other common names: Sulawesi Giant Rat

Taxonomy. Rattus dominator Thomas, 1921,

“Mt. Masarang, 4000’ [= 1219 m],”

Minahassa, northern Sulawesi, Indonesia.

J-R. Ellerman, in E. M. O. Laurie and J.

E. Hill's 1954 work, proposed Paruromys as a subgenus of Rattus to include this giant rat, and G. G.Musser and C. Newcomb in 1983 elevated Paruromys to generic rank, which is followed today. Paruromys is phylogenetically allied to other Sulawesian genera. Recent analyses of mitochondrial and nDNA sequences revealed Paruromys as sister to Bunomys and within a well-supported clade that also included Bullimus and Sundamys . According to P-H. Fabre and colleagues in 2013, the sister of Paruromysis Taeromys celebensis, together in a clade consisting of Bunomys, Halmaheramys, Bullimus, and Sundamys . Sometimes P. ursinus (from south-western Sulawesi, Gunung Lompobatang) was treated as subspecies. The status of P. dominator could change with additional studies. Monotypic.

Distribution. Sulawesi.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 200-279 mm, tail 240-326 mm, ear 27-36 mm, hindfoot 51-60 mm; weight 350-500 g. The Giant Sulawesi Rat is the largest murid in Sulawesi. It has a stocky body, elongated face, and tail much longer than head-body length. Pelageis soft and thick but not long, with short and inconspicuous guard hairs. Appearance and texture of pelage resemble those of the Celebes Rat ( Taeromys celebensis). Upperparts are grayish brown, and underparts are white or cream. Ears and feet are dark brown. Basal part of tail is blackish brown, and distal one-half to two-thirds is white. It has elongated cranium, with very wide zygomatic plates, low braincase, small bullae, short incisive foramina, large and extremely opisthodont upper incisor teeth, and molars with simple cusp patterns. Females have three pairs of mammae.

Habitat. Tropical evergreen lowland and montane rainforests from sea level to tree line. All specimens of the Giant Sulawesi Rat originated from forest, and they might be found in areas of low disturbance.

Food and Feeding. Diet consists exclusively of fruits.

Breeding. Nests are found on the ground between or inside rotting tree trunks, under boulders, in interstices of strangler fig roots, and in underground burrows. Litters have 2-5 young.

Activity patterns. Giant Sulawesi Rats are arboreal and terrestrial. Of the hundreds of Giant Sulawesi Rats captured, most were trapped on the ground and on decaying trunks and limbs bridging streams and ravines, but a few were caught aboveground in understory on woody vines and understory trees. They can be found in understories and canopies oftrees scavenging for food. One specimen was caught in a leaf-nest on the ground. They also have been trapped in strangler figs. During the night, they have been seen moving about in crowns of understory trees, and they have been photographed climbing in tall second growth.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Habitat loss from agricultural expansion and logging is likely a major threat to the Giant Sulawesi Rat. In lowlands, much habitat has been converted to rice paddies. In some parts of its distribution, such as inthe north-east, Giant Sulawesi Rats are eaten, which seems to be a localized threat. It is one of the most captured rats in Sulawesi, together with the Common Hill Rat ( Bunomys chrysocomus) and Hoffmann’s Sulawesi Rat ( Rattus hoffmanni). It is a favorite food of mountain people of central Sulawesi.

Bibliography. Boitani et al. (2006), Fabre et al. (2013), Laurie & Hill (1954), Musser (1982a, 2014), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Durden (2002), Musser & Holden (1991), Musser & Newcomb (1983), Musser & Ruedas (2016a), Pangau-Adam et al. (2006), Rowe et al. (2016b), Schenk et al. (2013), Steppan & Schenk (2017).