Rattus satarae

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	MURIDAE

Scientific Name:	Rattus satarae
Species Authority:	Hinton, 1918

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Vulnerable B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Molur, S. & Nameer, P.O.
Reviewer/s:	Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Cox, N. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Justification: It is Vulnerable as it is restricted in its area of occupancy (probably less than 2,000 km² of suitable forest remaining), is found in highly fragmented locations, is susceptible to changes in habitat and is facing a continuing decline in the area of occupancy, quality of habitat, number of mature individuals and number of locations.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to the northern Western Ghats found of India, where it is found in three severely fragmented regions of Satara in Maharashtra, the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu (Musser and Carleton 2005) and Coorg in Karnataka (S. Molur pers. comm.). It occurs at elevations ranging from 700 to 2,150 m asl.
Countries:	Native: India
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is most commonly trapped rat in undisturbed forest fragments in Coorg compared to Rattus rattus wroughtoni or R. r. rufescens.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It has been recorded only in pristine montane moist deciduous and evergreen forests. It is a strictly canopy dwelling animal coming to the ground occasionally only to the base of the tree or vine. It lives in nests or burrow in the middle or high canopy, is frugivorous and insectivorous. It is a slow mover, almost reluctant to move even when released from the trap, and prefers to run rather than hop like Rattus rattus wroughtoni or R. r. rufescens (S. Molur pers. comm.). This species is highly sensitive to habitat disturbance (S. Molur pers. comm.). In disturbed forests and fragments it is not recorded, nor is it available in coffee and cardamom plantations with either a native or exotic canopy where R.r. wroughtoni displaces this species completely (S. Molur pers. comm.)
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It has been recorded only in pristine montane moist deciduous and evergreen forests. It is a strictly canopy dwelling animal coming to the ground occasionally only to the base of the tree or vine. It lives in nests or burrow in the middle or high canopy, is frugivorous and insectivorous. It is a slow mover, almost reluctant to move even when released from the trap, and prefers to run rather than hop like Rattus rattus wroughtoni or R. r. rufescens (S. Molur pers. comm.). This species is highly sensitive to habitat disturbance (S. Molur pers. comm.). In disturbed forests and fragments it is not recorded, nor is it available in coffee and cardamom plantations with either a native or exotic canopy where R.r. wroughtoni displaces this species completely (S. Molur pers. comm.)

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat loss from conversion of forests into plantations, fragmentation, logging, collection of minor forest produce, use of pesticide and planting of exotic species are all major threats to this species (S. Molur pers. comm.).

Major Threat(s):

Habitat loss from conversion of forests into plantations, fragmentation, logging, collection of minor forest produce, use of pesticide and planting of exotic species are all major threats to this species (S. Molur pers. comm.).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Thorough surveys, ecology, population and dsitribution studies are recommended. It has been recorded outside of Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Coorg. It is also classified as a vermin under Schedule V of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. There is an urgent need to conserve areas of suitable undisturbed forest for this species.

Conservation Actions:

Thorough surveys, ecology, population and dsitribution studies are recommended. It has been recorded outside of Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Coorg. It is also classified as a vermin under Schedule V of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. There is an urgent need to conserve areas of suitable undisturbed forest for this species.

Citation:	Molur, S. & Nameer, P.O. 2008. Rattus satarae. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 May 2012.
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