Eliurus webbi Ellerman 1949
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Nesomyidae
Eliurus
Eliurus webbi

description: 15. Webb's Tufted-tail Rat <i>Eliurus webbi</i> <b>French:</b> Rat-loir de Webb / <b>German:</b> \Webb-Bilchschwanz / <b>Spanish:</b> Rata de cola de penacho de Webb <b>Other common names:</b> Webb's Tuft-tailed Rat <b>Taxonomy.</b> Eliurus myoxinus webb: Ellerman, 1949, “ 20 miles south of Farafangana, south-east coast Madagascar.” Eliurus webbi was originally described as a subspecies of E. myoxinus but now is considered a distinct species. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Endemic to the N &amp; E portions of Madagascar. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 140-159 mm, tail 161-186 mm; weight 66— 97.5 g. Dorsal pelage of Webb's Tufted-tail Rat is generally dark brown, blackish brown toward middle of back, and belly is light gray with brown tint on sides. It has proportionally smaller ears than other members of Eliurus. Distal one-third of tail has dark brown hairs that become progressively thicker toward distal tip, forming thin tuft. Gray tarsi and are completely white feet and toes. Belly pelage of individuals from Amber Mountain in the far north is off-white. <b>Habitat.</b> Humid lowland (including littoral) and montane forest from sea level up to elevations of c.1450 m. Webb’s Tufted-tail Rat is distinctly more common in lowland formations and becomes less common with increasing elevation. It is known from degraded forest mixed with introduced trees. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> Webb's Tufted-tail Rat eats a variety of seeds, such as Canarium (Burseraceae), by gnawing a hole in the central part to extract the endocarp. It is presumed to feed on fruits and invertebrates. <b>Breeding.</b> Reproduction of Webb’s Tufted-tail Rat occurs during the wet season; young are born in late November—December. There appears to be geographical or annual differences in reproductive period. Females have three pairs of mammae, and maximum litter size is five young. <b>Activity patterns.</b> Webb's Tufted-tail Rat is nocturnal and scansorial. It occupies ground burrows with nesting birds. It is preyed on by Madagascar long-eared owls (Asio madagascariensis) and Madagascar red owls (7yto soumagne). <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. This forestdwelling species is known from the full length of eastern humid forests of Madagascar. Given continued declines in the natural forests of this region, particularly those at the lower end ofits elevational range, Webb’s Tufted-tail Rat's mediumand long-term futures is uncertain. <b>Bibliography.</b> Andrianjakarivelo et al. (2005), Carleton (1994, 2003), Carleton &amp; Goodman (2000), Carleton &amp; Schmidt (1990), Ellerman (1949), Goodman (1994), Goodman &amp; Carleton (1998), Goodman &amp; Sterling (1996), Goodman &amp; Thorstrom (1998), Goodman, Creighton &amp; Raxworthy (1991), Goodman, Langrand &amp; Raxworthy (1993), Goodman, Soarimalala et al. (2013), Maminirina et al. (2008), Rakotondravony et al. (1998), Ramanamanjato &amp; Ganzhorn (2001), Soarimalala &amp; Goodman (2011), Thorstrom et al. (1997).
description: Published as part of <i>Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier &amp; Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Nesomyidae, pp. 156-203 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on page 188, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6600357