Rattus elaphinus Sody 1941

Rattus elaphinus Sody 1941, Treubia, 18: 307.

Type Locality: Indonesia, Kepulauan Sula, Pulau Taliabu (east of Pulau Peleng and Sulawesi).

Vernacular Names: Sula Archipelago Rat.

Distribution: Known only from Pulau Taliabu, Indonesia (Musser and Holden, 1991) and adjacent Pulau Manggole in the Sula Arch., but absent from nearby Pulau Sanana in the same archipelago, where only the introduced R. tanezumi and R. exulans are found (Flannery, 1995 b).

Conservation: IUCN – Vulnerable.

Discussion: Rattus leucopus species group. A morphologically distinctive species that is likely most closely related to native Rattus on the Moluccas and New Guinea. Amplified description and comparisons with Sulawesian R. hoffmanni and R. koopmani from Peleng Isl provided by Musser and Holden (1991).