Tapulao shrew-rat

The Tapulao shrew-rat (Rhynchomys tapulao) is a rodent of the subfamily Murinae that was described as a new species in 2007 and is known only from Mount Tapulao in Zambales Province, western Luzon, in the Philippines. It lives in primary mossy forest from about 2,024 metres upward, where oaks, laurels, myrtles and Podocarpus trees are covered in epiphytes, moss, orchids and ferns. Like other shrew-rats it has a long, slender head, a small mouth with tiny incisors, long whiskers and small eyes, and it is a medium-sized animal with a head and body of 164 to 188 millimetres and a weight of 129 to 156 grams. The dense fur is golden brown above and white or gray below. Most captures were made at night and on the ground, and stomachs of two specimens held earthworm fragments, centipedes, springtails, ground beetles and insect larvae. Its conservation status is Data Deficient.