Abstract
The Dinagat Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat Crateromys australis belongs to the group of Cloud Rats, arboreal and folivorous nocturnal rodents endemic to the forests of the Philippines. The species, endemic to a small island Dinagat in the Philippines, was discovered and captured in 1975. Since then, despite repeated surveys, no specimen was found until 2012. It is listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN Red List and was even believed to be extinct. Finally, Dinagat Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat was rediscovered in January 2012 and its presence confirmed on Dinagat Island. The rediscovery of this species underlines the local, national and international importance of Dinagat Island (or Dinagat-Siargao cluster of islands), as the most distinct subcentre of species endemism within the Greater Mindanao Faunal Region. Unfortunately, only one locally protected area exists on the whole island and none of the last remaining native forest habitats on Dinagat are currently protected at the national level. Mining and habitat destruction constitute a serious threat to this species. We believe that this rediscovery may provide some important and timely impetus and urgency to the need for a more rational, scientifically-based and island-wide, development program on Dinagat by also incorporating an island/region-wide biodiversity conservation strategy that would help ensure the effective, longer-term protection of the larger majority of the few remaining natural habitats in this region.
Highlights
The Cloud Rats are a group of arboreal and folivorous nocturnal rodents endemic to the forests of the Philippines
In this report we present a rediscovery of the Dinagat Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat Crateromys australis and its scientific documentation for the first time after capture of the holotype in 1975 and present recommendations for further steps in conservation of this Critically Endangered Dinagat endemic species
Following a three year research study of the Philippine Tarsiers Tarsius syrichta; IUCN: ‘Near Threatened’) on Bohol, the first author was encouraged by the Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. to extend and apply her night-time field research techniques and experience to include other, higher conservation priority areas and species
Summary
The Cloud Rats are a group of arboreal and folivorous nocturnal rodents endemic to the forests of the Philippines. They are the largest members of the subfamily Murinae and include some of the most spectacular and beautiful rodents in the world distinguished from other murids by their large size and densely furred tails. Three of the five genera (i.e. Carpomys, Musseromys and Phloeomys) are confined to the ‘Greater Luzon Faunal Region’, whereas Batomys and Crateromys spp. occur elsewhere in the Philippine Archipelago ‘sensu stricto’ (i.e., all areas east of Huxley’s Line and excluding the Palawan Faunal Region; Fig. 1). Being confined to higher altitude forests of the Cordillera Central, C. schadenbergi is perhaps the only species to merit the ‘cloud’ epithet since all other species mostly inhabit low- and/or mid-
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