Paraleptomys wilhelmina Tate and Archbold 1941

Paraleptomys wilhelmina Tate and Archbold 1941, Am. Mus . Novit., 1101: 1.

Type Locality: New Guinea, Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya), near Mt Wilhelmina, Snow Mtns (Pegunungan Maoke), 9 km NE Lake Habbema, 2800 m.

Vernacular Names: Central Cordilleran Paraleptomys.

Distribution: C New Guinea; known only from N slopes of Snow Mtns between Idenburg River and Mt Wilhelmina in Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya) (Tate and Archbold, 1941) and the Tifalmin Valley in W Papua New Guinea (Flannery and Seri, 1990:189; Flannery, 1995 a); altitudinal range, 1800-2800 m (specimens in AMNH).

Conservation: IUCN – Vulnerable.

Discussion: A common part of the montane small mammal fauna on north slopes of the Snow Mtns (Musser and Lunde, ms). More than two species may be represented in available samples: series from above 2200 m on north slopes of the Snow Mtns and Tifalmin Valley represent P. wilhelmina, but specimens from below 2200 m on north slopes of the Snow Mtns likely sample a morphologically closely related but separate species (K. Helgen, in litt., 2003).