Parahydromys asper Thomas 1906

Parahydromys asper Thomas 1906, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 7, 17: 326.

Type Locality: Papua, New Guinea, Central Province, Owen Stanley Range, Richardson Range, Mt Gayata, 2000-4000 m.

Vernacular Names: New Guinea Waterside Rat.

Distribution: New Guinea; Central Cordillera from the Arfak Mountains and Weyland Range in Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya) to E flanks of the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea, as well as Huon Peninsula (Flannery, 1995 a:251).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Flannery (1990 b, 1995 a) reviewed the little distributional and biological information recorded for the species, which unlike species of Hydromys, is not amphibious. Donnellan (1987) reported chromosomal data. Cole et al. (1997) discussed a specimen from the Mt Dayman region at the E end of the species’ range. Aplin et al. (1999) reported a specimen of this species from a Holocene archaeological site on the Ayamaru Plateau, central Bird’s Head Peninsula of Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya).