小泡巨鼠(Edwards'rat)一新亚种——海南小泡巨鼠

海南岛中南部山地林区产的小泡巨鼠(Rattus edwardsi)与分布于华南地区的模式亚种(R.e.edwardsi)、分布于四川的亚种(R.e.gigas)明显不同,与国外产的马来半岛亚种(R.e.ciliatus)、苏门答腊亚种(R.e.setiger)及苏门答腊西部亚种(R.e.siporanus)亦有明显的差别,经研究为一新亚种,定名为小泡巨鼠海南亚种Rattus edwardsi hainanensis Xu et Yu subsp.nov.。

A NEW SUBSPECIES OF EDWARDS'RAT FROM HAINAN ISLAND,CHINA

This paper reports a new subspecies of Edwards'rat (Rattus edwardsi hainanensis, subsp. nov. ) from Hainan Island, China.Holotype: No. 0627, female, adult, collected on August 6, 1964, from Bawangling, Hainan Island.Paratypes: No.0124, Male, adult, collected on January 4, 1963, from Diaoluoshan, Hainan Island; No. 0421, 0422, all collected from Bawangling, Hainan Island.Type specimens are deposited in the Guangdong Institute of Entomology.Diagnosis. The bodily form is smaller than other subspecies, the range of the weights is 175-385g (average 287.14g) . The color of the dorsal hair is more ochreous than that of other two subspecies in China. The incisive foramina is shorter and tympanic bulla is smaller than that of R.e.edwardsi; The skull is shorter than that of R.e. gigas.This subspecies differs from R.e. ciliatus and R.e. setiger in color of their tails; the tail of new subspecies is pale below, while in the latter two subspecies the tails all are dark above and below.Comparison of C.D. with respect to externals and skull between the new subspecies and other two subspecies of the Edwards'rat are shown in the Table 4 .Specimens examined :R.e. hainanensis, subsp. nov., 6, 2, Baw-angling, Diaoluoshan, Limuling, Hainan Island. R.e.edwardsi 12, 17, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi; R.e.gigas 3, 3, Sichuan.