The Talaud Islands also spelled Talaur or Talaut, are a group of islands situated about 225 miles (360 km) northeast of Sulawesi, in Indonesia, north-east of the Sangihe Islands. The Talaud Islands are also the northernmost region of Eastern Indonesia, bordering south of the Philippines' Davao Region. The group, with a total area of 483 square miles, includes Karakelong, Salibabu, Kabaruan, and a small number of offshore islets. The seven tiny Nanusa Islands also lie north-east of Karakelong, with Miangas much further north-west.
Melomys is a genus of rodents in the family Muridae. Members of this genus live in the wet habitats of northern Australia, New Guinea, Torres Strait Islands and islands of the Indonesian archipelago.
The fawn-footed mosaic-tailed rat, or fawn-footed melomys is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found along eastern coastal regions of Australia.
The Manusela mosaic-tailed rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia. It lives in the rainforests on the island of Seram in Indonesia. Specimens of it weigh 66.5g and have a head and body length of 118-135mm and a tail length of 126–140mm.
Moncton's mosaic-tailed rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
The Obi mosaic-tailed rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia.
The black-tailed mosaic-tailed rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to the island of New Guinea.
Bannister's rat, or great Key Island mosaic-tailed rat, or great Key Island melomys or great Kai Island melomys is a species of rodent of the genus Melomys. It is endemic to the Kai Besar, one of the islands which are part of the Maluku Islands, Indonesia.
The Yamdena mosaic-tailed rat is a species of rat belonging to the family Muridae. It was first described in 1995 from specimens found on Yamdena Island in Indonesia. No other examples of this species have been found; as a result very little is known about it. IUCN lists it as Data Deficient.
The Rossel Island melomys is a species of rodent from the family Muridae. It is endemic to Rossel Island in Papua New Guinea, but Flannery (1955) presumed that "it did exist previously on other islands of the group, but has become extinct on all except Rossel." For many years it was seen as a subspecies of the white-bellied mosaic-tailed rat, but is now considered a distinct species. It is listed as data deficient by the IUCN Red List in light of little information on "population status, ecological requirements, and threats". The Rossel Island melomys has not been officially recorded since 1956, but its habitat is still in good condition. The IUCN lists determining population status of the melomys as a "high priority".
Dollman's melomys is a species of rodent from the family Muridae. It lives in the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea at an elevation of at least 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) and on the slopes of Mount Hagen and Mount Sisa. However, it is not found east of the Okapa area. It is an arboreal species occurring in montane secondary and degraded forest, preferring moist tropical environments. Formerly considered to be a subspecies of the black-tailed mosaic-tailed rat, the Dollman's melomys is also often listed as its binomial synonym, Melomys gracilis. The melomys is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List due to its wide range, lack of threats, and tolerance of disturbance.
The Pavel's Seram mosaic-tailed rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only on the south coast of the island of Seram in Indonesia. At one time it was thought to be a subspecies of the black-tailed mosaic-tailed rat but in 2005, Musser and Carleton raised it to full species level. The IUCN has insufficient information on which to assess its conservation status so it is listed as "data deficient".
The Manus Island mosaic-tailed rat or Manus melomys is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to the island of Manus in Papua New Guinea where it occurs in forest habitats and is largely arboreal.
The long-tailed Talaud mosaic-tailed rat or the long-tailed Talaud melomys is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Karakelong and Salebabu in the Talaud Islands in Indonesia where it occurs in forest habitats. It is morphologically similar to the white-bellied mosaic-tailed rat and was at one time considered to be a subspecies but is now recognised as a distinct species. The short-tailed mosaic-tailed rat is also present on the islands and the shorter tail of that species means that it is likely to be mainly terrestrial whereas M. talaudium is largely arboreal.
The Papua grassland mosaic-tailed rat, also known as the grassland melomys, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to the island of New Guinea where it is present from sea level to altitudes of about 2,200 metres (7,200 ft). It inhabits grassland, gardens and other disturbed areas.
The Snow Mountains grassland mosaic-tailed rat, also known as the Snow Mountains grassland melomys, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to the mountainous west part of the island of New Guinea, where its range extends from Lake Habbema to the Baliem Valley, in Papua Province, Indonesia. It is present at altitudes between 1,600 and 2,200 metres above sea level. It is found in grassland and other disturbed areas.
The Seram long-tailed mosaic-tailed rat, also known as the Seram long-tailed melomys, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only on the south coast of the island of Seram in Indonesia. At one time it was thought to be a subspecies of the white-bellied mosaic-tailed rat but was subsequently raised to full species level. It differs from that species in having a much longer, scale-free tail with a calloused tip which is likely to be prehensile and used while climbing trees.
The Riama mosaic-tailed rat, is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only on the island of Riama in Indonesia, a small island to the west of Selaru in the Tanimbar Islands. Very little is known about this species, but it may also be present on some of the other islands in this group.
Hydromyini is a very large, diverse tribe of muroid rodents in the subfamily Murinae. They are the dominant native rodents in Australasia and one of only two native rodent groups there, the other being the R. fuscipes group of the genus Rattus in the tribe Rattini. They are also found in parts of Southeast Asia.
