Echiothrix leucura Gray 1867

771.

Northern Sulawesi Spiny Rat

Echiothrix leucura

French: Grand Echiothrix / German: Nordliche Sulawesi-Stachelratte / Spanish: Rata espinosa de Célebes septentrional

Other common names: Northern Sulawesi Echiothrix, Sulawesi Spiny Rat

Taxonomy. Echiothrix leucura Gray, 1867,

“Australia.”

Corrected/restricted by G. H.

H. Tate in 1936 to “Menado, north Celebes,” Sulawesi, Indonesia.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. NE end of N peninsula, Sulawesi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 196- 230 mm, tail 212-270 mm, ear 31-33 mm, hindfoot 50-55 mm; weight 100-124 g. The Northern Sulawesi Spiny Rat is similar to the Central Sulawesi Spiny Rat (FE. centrosa), but it has longer head-body and hindfoot lengths; shorter tail length; larger skull proportions; greater length of diastema; shorter incisive foramina; narrower rostrum; higher palatal extension; cusp t3 on M, at higher frequency than in the Central Sulawesi Spiny Rat; large antero-labial and antero-lingual cusps, with antero-labial rarely present on M, and M,; postero-labial cusplet on M, M,, and M,; antero-labial cusplet in low frequency on M, and m,; and posterior cingulum present on M, and M,.

Habitat. Mainland coastal lowland forest.

Food and Feeding. The Northern Sulawesi Spiny Rat is probably a vermivore specialist.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Northern Sulawesi Spiny Rat is nocturnal and likely terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Little is known about presence of Northern Sulawesi Spiny Rats in degraded habitats, or about its current distribution.

Bibliography. Miller & Hollister (1921), Musser (1990), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Durden (2014), Rowe etal. (20164), Tate (1936).