Maxomys hellwaldii

753.

Hellwald’s Sulawesi Spiny Rat

Maxomys hellwaldii

French: Maxomys de Hellwald / German: Hellwald-Rajah-Ratte / Spanish: Rata espinosa de Célebes de Hellwald

Other common names: Hellwald's Spiny Rat, Hellwald's Sulawesi Maxomys

Taxonomy. Mus hellwaldii Jentink, 1879,

“Celebes [= Sulawesi, Indonesia], Me-nado.”

Maxomys hellwaldii is most closely related to M. dollmani, forming a clade together with at least three undescribed species, which is sister to Crunomys. Maxomys hell- waldn might also represent multiple species because there is a large amount of ge- ographical variation between populations. Taxonomy requires further investigation.

Distribution. Sulawesi.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 180-220 mm, tail 160-200 mm, ear 2630 mm, hindfoot 43-49-9 mm; weight 150-270 g. Hellwald’s Sulawesi Spiny Rat is large, with short, dense, and soft pelage and long bristle-like guard hairs that are gray basally and brown distally. Dorsum is very dark brownish orange along back and top of head, becoming lighter orange brown on sides with whitish gray cheeks. Venteris white, sometimes suf- fused with gray on thorax and neck. Feet are pale yellow and sparsely haired. Ears are rounded; vibrissae are long and black. Tail is 87-89% of head-body length, sparsely haired, and grayish brown above and unpigmented below and for distal one-third. Skull is larger, more strongly built, and more angular than in Dollman’s Sulawesi Spiny Rat (M. dollmani). The mite Laelaps, fleas Nestivalius sulawesiensis and Musserella, and louse Hoplopleura sembeli have been recorded from Hellwald’s Sulawesi Spiny Rat. There are four pairs of mammae: one pectoral, one post-axillary, one abdominal, and one inguinal. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 34, FN = 61 (males) and 62 (females).

Habitat. Tropical lowland evergreen rain forests from sea level up to elevations of 1006 m.

Food and Feeding. Hellwald’s Sulawesi Spiny Rat probably eats fruits, arthropods, snails, earthworms, and small vertebrates.

Breeding. Litters of Hellwald’s Sulawesi Spiny Rats have 2—4 young.

Activity patterns. Hellwald’s Sulawesi Spiny Rat is nocturnal and terrestrial.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Hellwald’s Sulawesi Spiny Rat has a relatively large distribution and occurs in Lore Lindu National Park and no doubt other protected areas. Habitat destruction and possibly hunting in the north-western peninsula are its only major threats. Additional research is needed to fully understand its natural history, taxonomy, and threats.

Bibliography. Achmadi et al. (2013), Musser (1969c, 1991, 2014), Musser & Carleton (2005), Musser & Holden (1991), Musser & Ruedas (2016b), Musser et al. (1979), Steppan & Schenk (2017).