Batomys russatus Musser, Heaney, and Tabaranza, Jr. 1998

Batomys russatus Musser, Heaney, and Tabaranza, Jr. 1998, Am. Mus . Novit., 3237: 34.

Type Locality: Philippines, Dinagat Isl (Surigao del Norte Province), Plaridel Municipality, Libjo (=Albor).

Vernacular Names: Russet Batomys.

Distribution: Greater Mindanao Faunal Region. Endemic to Dinagat Isl in lowland tropical evergreen rainforest.

Discussion: Sympatric with B. salomonseni . Unique among all species of living Murinae in retaining a complete cephalic arterial pattern (the primitive configuration for muroid rodents) as indicated by the presence of a sphenofrontal foramen, squamosal-alisphenoid groove, large stapedial foramen, and groove scoring ventral surface of posterolateral pterygoid plate (Musser et al., 1998 a). Batomys russatus is part of a small cluster of mammals endemic to Dinagat (which includes Crateromys australis and Podogymnura aureospinula).