Notes on the Philippine rat, Limnomys, and the identity of Limnomys picinus, a composite. American Museum novitates ; no. 2636

Abstract

"Limnomys is a genus of small rats represented by a handful of specimens from the Philippine Islands. Three species have been included within Limnomys: L. sibuanus, the type-species, and L. mearnsi, both from Mindanao; and L. picinus from Mindoro. I show in the present paper that mearnsi is likely only a geographic variant of L. sibuanus, and that the holotype of L. picinus is a composite: the skin is that of a juvenile of Rattus mindorensis and the skull is from a specimen of Limnomys mearnsi. The content of Limnomys is then restricted to one species with possible geographic variants; that species is now known only from the mountains of Mindanao. Its possible relatives live in forests of central Celebes"--P. [1].