Mindoro striped rat
| Mindoro Striped Rat | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Chrotomys |
| Species: | C. mindorensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Chrotomys mindorensis Kellogg, 1945
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The Mindoro striped rat (Chrotomys mindorensis) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Philippines.
Taxonomy
[edit]Chrotomys mindorensis was first described as a subspecies of C. whiteheadi by Remington Kellogg in 1945, and later elevated to a full species by Guy Musser, Linda Gordon, and Helmut Sommer in 1982.[2][3] The type locality is "3 miles south-southeast of San Jose (Central)", on Mindoro island.[4]
It was originally distinguished from C. whiteheadi by features of its teeth and cranium.[3] The difference in color between the two species was initially thought to be an artifact of the age of the old museums specimens of C. whiteheadi, which had been stored since 1895, but later analysis proved that C. whiteheadi in fact had darker fur even in recently collected specimens.[2][3]
Description
[edit]The Mindoro stripped rat has thinner fur compared to C. whiteheadi. Many individuals have black or dark brown stripes along the back, with a yellow stripe in the center along the spine; the color of this stripe varies significantly within the species.[5][3] The rest of the body is "pale yellowish buff, suffused with gray on the sides of the head and body", unlike the dark brown fur of C. whiteheadi. It is also distinguished from C. whiteheadi by its notably larger molars.[3]
The Mindoro stripped rat is larger than the other species in Chrotomys.[5] The length of the head and body ranges from 155 millimetres (6.1 in) to 186 millimetres (7.3 in), with a tail from 99 millimetres (3.9 in) to 123 millimetres (4.8 in).[6]
Distribution, ecology, and conservation status
[edit]The Mindoro stripped rat occurs on the islands of Mindoro and Luzon in the Philippines. It has been found at elevations between 30 metres (98 ft) to 2,025 metres (6,644 ft). It lives in forest and nearby farmlands. The diet includes earthworms.[1]
It is concerned a species of Least Concern by the IUCN due to its large range and likely high population, as well as tolerance for human disruption of its habitat.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Balete, D.S.; Duya, A.; Heaney, L.; Kennerley, R. (2017). "Chrotomys mindorensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T4808A22400859. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T4808A22400859.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
- ^ a b Rickart, E. A., Rickart, E. A., Heaney, L. R. (1991). "A new species of Chrotomys (Rodentia: Muridae) from Luzon Island, Philippines". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 104: 387--398.
- ^ a b c d e Musser, G. G., Gordon, L. K., Sommer, H. (1982). "Species-Limits in the Philippine Murid, Chrotomys". Journal of Mammalogy. 63 (3). [American Society of Mammalogists, Oxford University Press]: 514–521. doi:10.2307/1380457. ISSN 0022-2372. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ Kellogg, R., Kellogg, R. (20 September 1945). "Two new Philippine rodents". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 58: 121--124.
- ^ a b Rickart, E. A., Heaney, L. R., Goodman, S. M., Jansa, S. (April 2005). "Review of the Philippine Genera Chrotomys and Celaenomys (Murinae) and Description of a New Species". Journal of Mammalogy. 86 (2). American Society of Mammalogists: 415–428. doi:10.1644/BEL-124.1. ISSN 0022-2372. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ Stuart, A. M., Presscott, C. V., Singleton, G. R., Joshi, R. C. "Rodent diversity in the lowland agro-ecosystems of the Sierra Madre Biodiversity Corridor (SMBC), Phillippines" (PDF). The Technical Journal of Philippine Ecosystems and Natural Resources: 111–126. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- Musser, G. G.; Carleton, M. D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1305. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.