White-bellied mosaic-tailed rat

The white-bellied mosaic-tailed rat (Melomys leucogaster) is a rodent of the family Muridae found on the island of New Guinea, in both West Papua, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It was described by Jentink in 1908 from a specimen collected at Alkmaar on the Lorentz River at about 300 m, and it is a close relative of Melomys rufescens. The species is one of the few New Guinea mosaic-tailed rats that also occurs on the archipelagos to the south-east and west of the main island, including Yule Island, Rossel Island, Seram and the Talaud Islands. It lives mainly on the southern side of the Central Cordillera in lowland forests from sea level to about 1400 m. Although its build suggests a good climber, it is readily trapped on the ground and has been taken even on Bavo Island, where vegetation is minimal. Limited data indicate a litter size of two. The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern.