Rattus division continued:
Rattus
By far the largest genus in Murinae with about 65 species, although it is likely that many of them are actually species complexes and hence the true total would be much higher. Few species have been properly studied in terms of their taxonomy.
There are only eight species represented in the Zoochat galleries (one only by a taxidermy specimen).
Ricefield Rat Rattus argentiventer
Complex taxonomy so I won't try to sort out valid subspecies. Originally
R. argentiventer was treated as a subspecies of
R. rattus although it is clearly different. It has a huge range across southeast Asia, much of which is likely to be human-assisted.
Photo by
@FunkyGibbon in the wild, Vietnam
Ricefield Rat - Van Long - ZooChat
Polynesian Rat Rattus exulans
About fifty forms have been described for this species, but it is now generally considered to be monotypic. The species has an extensive range, from Thailand throughout the Indomalayan archipelago and widely across the Pacific, but this is largely due to recent human-assisted spread (within the last few thousand years); the origin of the species is probably within the Lesser Sunda islands.
Photo by
@Chlidonias at Nga Manu Nature Reserve (New Zealand)
kiore (Rattus exulans) - ZooChat
Bush Rat Rattus fuscipes
Four subspecies:
assimilis, coracius, fuscipes, greyii
Photo by
@Najade of a wild-caught animal, Australia (southwest Australian subspecies
fuscipes)
Bush Rat (Rattus fuscipes) - ZooChat
Cape York Rat Rattus leucopus
Two subspecies:
cooktownensis and
leucopus (multiple other subspecies have been described but most authors synonymise them with the nominate
R. l. leucopus)
Photo by
@Najade in the wild, Australia (northern subspecies
leucopus)
Cape York Rat (Rattus leucopus) - ZooChat
Brown Rat Rattus norvegicus
Generally two subspecies are recognised:
caraco in eastern Asia, and
norvegicus in the Western Palaearctic. The latter subspecies is the one introduced to the Americas and Oceania.
Photo by
@Giant Eland at Oklahoma City Zoo (USA) (subspecies
norvegicus)
2013: Oklahoma Zoo - ZooChat
Black Rat Rattus rattus
Complex taxonomy so I won't try to sort out valid subspecies (at least 60 have been named). Originally
Rattus rattus was treated as a species found throughout tropical Asia (and introduced to Europe and then elsewhere in the world) but genetic studies have shown that true
R. rattus are restricted naturally to southern Asia (i.e. the Indian subcontinent) and those in southeast Asia are a separate species, since named the Asian House Rat
R. tanezumi which is itself likely to be more than one species. The true
Rattus rattus is the species which has been spread around the world from Europe.
Photo by
@Hix in the wild, Christmas Island (Australia) [Christmas Island used to have two endemic species of
Rattus (
R. macleari and
R. nativitatis) which became extinct c.1900, thought to be caused by the introduction to the island of
Rattus rattus]
Black Rat on the beach - ZooChat
Asian House Rat Rattus tanezumi
Complex taxonomy. Originally considered to be conspecific with the Black Rat
R. rattus of India. The currently-recognised species
R. tanezumi is likely to be two (or more) species, with the true
R. tanezumi found in eastern Asia (e.g. Japan, Hong Kong, north Vietnam, etc) and a second group (formerly known as
R. rattus diardi) in southern southeast Asia (e.g. Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia). Both forms co-exist in central southeast Asia (Thailand and Burma). The name "diardi" is preoccupied so cannot be used if the second group were to be named as a full species.
Photo by
@Giant Eland in the wild, Philippines (of the "diardi" group)
Tanezumi rat (Rattus tanezumi) - ZooChat
Long-haired Rat Rattus villosissimus
Monotypic
Photo by
@Chlidonias at the Queensland Museum, Australia (taxidermy specimen)
Long-haired Rat (Rattus villosissimus) - ZooChat
The remaining species of the genus
Rattus are below. The genus has been divided into multiple groups of related species, but I will just list them entirely alphabetically instead. The taxonomy of the genus is a real mess, so don't take the following list as being in any way definitive. I have included some recently-extinct species as well.
Burnished Enggano Rat
Rattus adustus (known from only one specimen from 1940, from Enggano Island)
Sikkim Rat
Rattus andamanensis
Vogelkop Rat
Rattus arfakiensis
Western New Guinea Mountain Rat
Rattus arrogans
Summit Rat
Rattus baluensis
Aceh Rat
Rattus blangorum
Bonthain Rat
Rattus bontanus (syn.
Rattus foramineus)
Miller's Nicobar Rat
Rattus burrus
Dusky Rat
Rattus colletti
Sula Rat
Rattus elaphinus
Enggano Rat
Rattus enganus
Philippine Forest Rat
Rattus everetti
Spiny Ceram Rat
Rattus feliceus
Giluwe Rat
Rattus giluwensis
Hainald's Rat
Rattus hainaldi
Hoffmann's Rat
Rattus hoffmanni
Hoogerwerf's Rat
Rattus hoogerwerfi
Japen Rat
Rattus jobiensis
Koopman's Rat
Rattus koopmani
Korinch's Rat
Rattus korinchi
Losea Rat
Rattus losea (with the Lesser Ricefield Rat
R. sakeratensis being separated)
Mentawai Rat
Rattus lugens
Australian Swamp Rat
Rattus lutreolus
Maclear's Rat
Rattus macleari (endemic to Christmas Island, Australia; extinct c.1900)
Opossum Rat
Rattus marmosurus
Mindoro Rat
Rattus mindorensis
Little Soft-furred Rat
Rattus mollicomulus
Nillu Rat
Rattus montanus
Eastern Rat
Rattus mordax
Moluccan Prehensile-tailed Rat
Rattus morotaiensis
Bulldog Rat
Rattus nativitatis (endemic to Christmas Island, Australia; extinct c.1900)
Moss-forest Rat
Rattus niobe
Himalayan Field Rat
Rattus nitidus
New Guinean Rat
Rattus novaeguineae
Arianus's Rat
Rattus omichlodes
Osgood's Rat
Rattus osgoodi
Palm Rat
Rattus palmarum
Peleng Rat
Rattus pelurus
Pocock’s Highland Rat
Rattus pococki
Large New Guinea Spiny Rat
Rattus praetor
Turkestan Rat
Rattus pyctoris (syn.
Rattus turkestanicus)
Kerala Rat
Rattus ranjiniae
Glacier Rat
Rattus richardsoni
Lesser Ricefield Rat
Rattus sakeratensis (separated from
R. losea)
Southeastern Yellow-tailed Rat
Rattus salocco
New Ireland Rat
Rattus sanila
Sahyadris Forest Rat
Rattus satarae
Simalur Rat
Rattus simalurensis
Dusky Field Rat
Rattus sordidus
Stein's Rat
Rattus steini
Andaman Rat
Rattus stoicus
Tawitawi Forest Rat
Rattus tawitawiensis
Timor Rat
Rattus timorensis
Malayan Field Rat
Rattus tiomanicus
Pale Field Rat
Rattus tunneyi
Van Deusen's Rat
Rattus vandeuseni
Slender Rat
Rattus verecundus
Yellow-tailed Rat
Rattus xanthurus
