Spiny Taiwan Niviventer

discussion

Discussion: Corbet and Hill (1992: 364) explained why coninga instead of coxingi is the correct name for this species. Musser (1981 b) included a population from NE Burma, but that is a separate undescribed species; current morphometric analyses indicates N. coninga is not closely related to any species of Niviventer on the mainland (Musser and Lunde, ms), but analysis of mtDNA cytochrome b sequences ties N. coninga to N. tenaster within a clade also containing N. confucianus and N. culturatus (J. L. Patton, in litt., 2000). Chromosomal data documented by H. - T. Yu et al. (1996) and contrasted with karyotype of Taiwanese N. culturatus, which indicates that N. coninga and and Taiwanese N. culturatus are not sister-species but represent independent invasions of Taiwan from the Asian mainland, a pattern also supported by allozymic data (H. - T. Yu, 1995). Ecology, altitudinal distribution, and genetic population structure documented by H. - T. Yu (1993, 1994, 1995) and Adler (1995, 1996).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

distribution

Distribution: Endemic to Taiwan, below about 2000 m and common at 1300 m (H. - T. Yu, 1993, 1994; M. - J. Yu, 1996).

Order Rodentia - Family Muridae

activity

Activity patterns. The Spiny Taiwan White-bellied Rat is primarily terrestrial but occasionally arboreal. It is strictly nocturnal, becoming active from 01: 00 h to 13: 00 h, and is most active in winter when nights are longer. It probably has a number of 2 - 3 hour activity cycles during its active period. There is no activity detected during the day, and activity is strictly determined by sunset and sunrise. It nests in shrubs throughout the day.

Muridae

biology_ecology

Habitat. [Lowland tropical broadleafforests and associated edges and scrubland at elevations up to 2000 m.

Muridae