Tate's shrew rat

Tate's shrew rat (Tateomys rhinogradoides) is a rodent of the family Muridae found only in central Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it has been recorded on Mount Latimodjong (Mount Rantemario), Mount Tokala and Mount Nokilalaki. It was described by Musser in 1969 and is named after the American zoologist George Henry Hamilton Tate. It lives in mossy upper montane rain forest at roughly 2110 to 2600 m and is nocturnal and terrestrial, a vermivore that is the largest-bodied member of the genera Tateomys and Melasmothrix. Adults measure 137 to 156 mm from head to body, with a tail of 152 to 170 mm that is longer than the body, and weigh 88 to 98 g. The pelt is short, dense and velvety, dark brown above with grayish buff underparts, the eyes are small, and the forefeet carry large cylindrical claws almost as long as the digits. Very little is known about its abundance, and more surveys are needed in the Sulawesi highlands.