Rattus exulans (Peale 1848)

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Global Range: Native to southeastern Asia, west to eastern Bangladesh, and many islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean (Roberts 1991; Musser and Carleton, in Wilson and Reeder 2005); most Pacific insular occurrences result from inadvertent or intentional introduction or possibly natural rafting (Musser and Carleton, in Wilson and Reeder 2005). Hawaii: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Kahoolawe, Hawaii, Kure Atoll, Popoia, Mokumanu, Kaula; Niihau?

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Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) have an extensive distribution from Southeast Asia and New Guinea through the Pacific. They spread to several thousands islands in the western and central Pacific Ocean through the colonizing efforts of the Polynesian people. The rats were carried along on the large sea-going canoes with pigs, dogs and jungle cocks.

Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Introduced , Native ); oriental (Introduced , Native ); australian (Introduced ); oceanic islands (Introduced )

  • Tobin, M. 1994. Polynesian Rats. Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage: 121-124.
  • Walton, D., J. Brooks, K. Thinn, U. Tun. 1980. Reproduction in Rattus exulans in Rangoon, Berma. Mammalia, 44/3: 349-360.
  • Dwyer, P. 1978. A study of Rattus exulans in the New Guinea highlands. Australian Wildlife Research, 5/2: 221-248.
  • Masaharu, M., L. Kau-Hung, H. Masashi, L. Liang-Kong. 2001. New records of Polynesial Rat Rattus exulans (Mammalia:Rodentia) from Taiwan and the Ryukyus. Zoological Studies, 40/4: 299-304.
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Sourcehttp://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Rattus_exulans/

Range Description:

This species is widespread throughout both mainland and insular Southeast Asia (including the islands of Taiwan, Sumatra, Java, Bali and Borneo) (Corbet and Hill 1992; Musser and Carleton 2005). It is likely introduced and widespread in the Philippines and several Indonesian islands (including Sulawesi, Buru, Lombok, Sumbara, Flores), the island of New Guinea (approximate range only given). It has also been widely introduced throughout the Pacific (Corbet and Hill 1992; Musser and Carleton 2005). It is now extinct from North Island, New Zealand (Flannery 1995). The map for this species depicts only an estimate of the species extensive range.

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Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/19330

Type for Rattus exulans
Catalog Number: USNM 124888
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Female; Old adult
Preparation: Skin; Skull
Collector(s): W. Abbott
Year Collected: 1904
Locality: Banka Island [= Pulau Bangka], W side Klabat Bay [= Teluk Klabat], Sumatra, Kepulauan Bangka Belitung, Indonesia, Asia

  • Type: Lyon, M. W. 1906 Dec 18. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 31: 596.
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Rights holder/AuthorThis image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws.
Sourcehttp://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/mammals/?irn=7246730

The infestation of Polynesian rats has destroyed the sugar cane fields, especially in Hawaii. To protect the fields in Hawaii, Indian mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus) were introduced from the West Indies to help control the rats. Barn owls and dogs have also been used to get rid of Polynesian rats.

Known Predators:

  • Indian mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus)
  • barn owls (Tyto alba)
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
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Sourcehttp://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Rattus_exulans/

Threats:

Major Threats

There are no major threats to this species.
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Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/19330

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

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Type for Rattus exulans
Catalog Number: USNM 144637
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Division of Mammals
Sex/Stage: Male; Adult
Preparation: Skin; Skull
Collector(s): E. Mearns
Year Collected: 1906
Locality: Mount Halcon, spur of main ridge, Mindoro, Mindoro Oriental Province, Philippines, Asia
Elevation (m): 1372

  • Type: Hollister, N. 1913 Dec 31. Proceedings of the United States National Museum. 46: 321.
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorThis image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. Unless otherwise noted, this image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws.
Sourcehttp://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/mammals/?irn=7252078

Known predators:

Rattus exulans is prey of:
Tyto alba
Herpestes javanicus

This list may not be complete but is based on published studies.

  • Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2006. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed February 16, 2011 at http://animaldiversity.org. http://www.animaldiversity.org
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorCynthia Sims Parr, Joel Sachs, SPIRE
Sourcehttp://spire.umbc.edu/fwc/

Conservation Actions:

Conservation Actions

It is presumably present in many protected areas.
Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
Rights holder/AuthorInternational Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
Sourcehttp://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/19330
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith