Small water rat

The small water rat (Leptomys paulus) is a small rodent in the family Muridae that is endemic to New Guinea. It belongs to the genus Leptomys, the New Guinea water rats, and was named by Musser, Helgen and Lunde in 2008 in a systematic review of the genus that described two new species. The head and body measure between 117 and 132 mm and the tail between 138 and 163 mm, and the animal can weigh up to 52 g. Its thick, soft fur is dark reddish brown above, yellowish on the sides and grayish white below, and the almost hairless tail has a white tip. It has been observed in tropical low-montane regions of eastern New Guinea between 1,240 and 1,540 m. GBIF records its IUCN Red List category as Data Deficient.