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Rodentia (rats & rodents)
Rattus exulans
EOL Text
Global Range: Native to southeastern Asia, west to eastern Bangladesh, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean (Roberts 1991; Musser and Carleton, in Wilson and Reeder 2005); most Pacific insular occurrences result from inadvertent or intentional introduction or possibly natural rafting (Musser and Carleton, in Wilson and Reeder 2005). Hawaii: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Kahoolawe, Hawaii, Kure Atoll, Popoia, Mokumanu, Kaula; Niihau?
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Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) have an extensive distribution from Southeast Asia and New Guinea through the Pacific. They spread to several thousands islands in the western and central Pacific Ocean through the colonizing efforts of the Polynesian people. The rats were carried along on the large sea-going canoes with pigs, dogs and jungle cocks.
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Introduced , Native ); oriental (Introduced , Native ); australian (Introduced ); oceanic islands (Introduced )
- Tobin, M. 1994. Polynesian Rats. Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage: 121-124.
- Walton, D., J. Brooks, K. Thinn, U. Tun. 1980. Reproduction in Rattus exulans in Rangoon, Berma. Mammalia, 44/3: 349-360.
- Dwyer, P. 1978. A study of Rattus exulans in the New Guinea highlands. Australian Wildlife Research, 5/2: 221-248.
- Masaharu, M., L. Kau-Hung, H. Masashi, L. Liang-Kong. 2001. New records of Polynesial Rat Rattus exulans (Mammalia:Rodentia) from Taiwan and the Ryukyus. Zoological Studies, 40/4: 299-304.
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Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Rattus_exulans/ |
Type for Rattus exulans
Catalog Number: USNM 125229
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Female; Adult
Preparation: Skin; Skull; Remainder in Fluid
Collector(s): E. Mearns
Year Collected: 1904
Locality: Mount Apo, summit W peak, Mindanao, Philippines, Asia
Elevation (m): 2957
- Type: Mearns, E. A. 1905 May 13. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 28: 447.
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Rights holder/Author | This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. |
Source | http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/mammals/?irn=7246880 |
Type for Rattus exulans
Catalog Number: USNM 145771
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Male; Young adult
Preparation: Skin; Skull
Collector(s): E. Mearns
Year Collected: 1907
Locality: Baguio, Limestone Hills, near Lime Kiln, Luzon, Benguet Province, Philippines, Asia
Elevation (m): 1524
- Type: Hollister, N. 1911 May 15. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 24: 89.
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Rights holder/Author | This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. |
Source | http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/mammals/?irn=7252705 |
The lifespan of Polynesian rats is up to one year in the wild. In capitivity this species can live up to 15 months.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 1 (high) years.
Typical lifespan
Status: captivity: 12 to 15 months.
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Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Rattus_exulans/ |
Species Impact: Apparently not detrimental to forest birds but may be serious predator on nesting seabirds (petrels, shearwater, albatross) (reviewed briefly in Tomich 1986).
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Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Rattus+exulans |
Type for Rattus exulans
Catalog Number: USNM 125216
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Female; Adult
Preparation: Skin; Skull
Collector(s): E. Mearns
Year Collected: 1904
Locality: Mount Apo, Mindanao, Philippines, Asia
Elevation (m): 2316
- Type: Mearns, E. A. 1905 May 13. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 28: 446.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. |
Source | http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/mammals/?irn=7246877 |
Type for Rattus exulans
Catalog Number: USNM 144635
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Male; Adult
Preparation: Skin; Skull
Collector(s): E. Mearns
Year Collected: 1906
Locality: Basilan, Sulu Archipelago, Basilan Province, Philippines, Asia
Microhabitat: Trapped in the forest
- Type: Hollister, N. 1913 Dec 31. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 46: 322.
License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
Rights holder/Author | This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. |
Source | http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/mammals/?irn=7252077 |
Polynesian rats breed throughout the year with peak breeding occuring in summer and early fall.
Reproduction varies among geographic areas and is influenced by the availability of food, weather, and other factors. Females have an average of 4 litters per year with and average of 4 young per litter. In New Zealand, gestation is 19 to 21 days and weaning occurs at 2 to 4 weeks. Sexual maturity is reached by 8 to 12 months, though adult size can be achieved during the same season as birth.
Breeding interval: These rats can breed up to four times per year, depending on weather, food availability and climate.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 4.
Average number of offspring: 4.
Range gestation period: 19 to 21 days.
Range weaning age: 2 to 4 weeks.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 8 to 12 months.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 8 to 12 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; viviparous
Not much is known about the parental care of Polynesian rats. They are placental mammals that have dependent young. Young are probably altricial, as is common in the genus. While they develop, they probably live in some sort of nest, where they are nurse, groomed, and protected by their mother.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement; altricial ; pre-fertilization (Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Protecting: Female)
- Tobin, M. 1994. Polynesian Rats. Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage: 121-124.
- Russell, J. 2002. "Rattus exulans" (On-line). Global Invasive Species Database. Accessed October 24, 2002 at http://www.issg.org/database/species/search.asp?sts=sss&st=sss&fr=1&sn=Polynesian+rat&rn=&hci=-1&ei=-1&x=33&y=11.
- Williams, M. 1973. The Ecology of Rattus exulans (Peale) Reviewed. Pacific Science, 27/2: 120-127.
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Rights holder/Author | ©1995-2013, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors |
Source | http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Rattus_exulans/ |
Comments: See Musser and Carleton (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) for a good review and discussion of Rattus taxonomy and phylogeny.
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Source | http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=Rattus+exulans |