Wildlife of Lao PDR: 1999 Status Report - IUCN

1997). Forest habitats, probably at lower altitudes than L.
edwardsi (Corbet and Hill 1992).
Leopoldamys edwardsi Edwards’s Giant Rat. North (Osgood
1932), south (Bergmans 1995); range maps suggest occurs
throughout Lao PDR (Marshall 1977, Corbet and Hill 1992).
Montane evergreen forest, generally at higher altitudes than
L. sabanus (Marshall 1977).
Maxomys surifer Red Spiny Rat. North (Osgood 1932), centre
(Engstrom and Francis 1999), south (Osgood 1932,
Engstrom and Francis 1999); widespread throughout Lao
PDR (Marshall 1977, Corbet and Hill 1992). Lowland (including
secondary) forests and adjacent gardens (Marshall
1977, Corbet and Hill 1992).
• Maxomys moi. Conservation Significance: Little Known
in Lao PDR; Indochinese endemic occupying a restricted
range (Corbet and Hill 1992). Documented Range and Habitat:
South (Musser et al. 1979, Bergmans 1995).
Maxomys sp. Several rats that were captured in the Annamites
within Nakai-Nam Theun NBCA appear to represent an
undescribed species of Maxomys (Francis et al. 1996,
Engstrom and Francis 1999).
Berylmys berdmorei Lesser White-toothed Rat. North
(Musser and Newcomb 1983), centre (Robinson and Webber
1998a); probably also in south (Marshall 1977). Swampy
forests and marshes (Marshall 1977).
Berylmys bowersii Bowers’s White-toothed Rat. North
(Musser and Newcomb 1983), south (Bergmans 1995).
Mainly in montane forests above 1000 m (Marshall 1977).
[Berylmys mackenziei Kenneth’s White-toothed Rat].
Occurs in mountains of central Myanmar, Szechuan, and
southern Vietnam (Musser and Newcomb 1983), so may
occur in Lao PDR.
Platacanthomyinae: Spiny and pygmy dormice (0-1
species)
[Typhlomys cinereus Pygmy Dormouse]. Occurs in southern
China and northern Vietnam, so might occur in extreme
northern Lao PDR (Corbet and Hill 1992). Moss-forest at
1200-2100 m, with an undergrowth of bamboo (Nowak 1991).
Arvicolinae: Voles (0-2 species)
[Eothenomys melanogaster Pere David’s Vole]. Occurs in
northern Thailand (Doi Inthanon) and northern Vietnam
(Marshall 1977), so could occur in intervening area of Lao
PDR. High altitude moss and rhododendron forests; at an
altitude of 2500 m in Thailand (Marshall 1977).
[Eothenomys miletus]. Not known from Lao PDR, but
occurs in southern China and adjacent Myanmar (Corbet and
Hill 1992), so it might be expected. Corbet and Hill (1992)
also list it tentatively from Thailand, but it is not clear whether
this refers to the same specimens as Marshall (1977) referred
to E. melanogaster.
Rhyzomyinae: Bamboo rats (3 species)
Muridae
Rhizomys pruinosus Hoary Bamboo Rat. North (Osgood
1932, Duckworth 1998); range maps suggest occurs throughout
Lao PDR (Lekagul and McNeely 1977, Corbet and Hill
1992), but it is rare or unrecorded during market surveys in
the lowlands of the country; by contrast it is commonly traded
in markets in mountainous areas, e.g. Xiangkhouang Province
(JWD). Bamboo in hill and montane forest in Thailand
(Lekagul and McNeely 1977), perhaps similar in Lao PDR
(Duckworth 1998).
Rhizomys sumatrensis Large Bamboo Rat. North (Osgood
1932, Payne et al. 1995, Duckworth 1996a), centre (Walston
in prep.), south (Osgood 1932, Bergmans 1995). Secondary
forests with bamboo (Lekagul and McNeely 1977, Corbet
and Hill 1992), commonly recorded on the Mekong plain
and in lower hill areas (JWD).
Cannomys badius Lesser Bamboo Rat. North (Bergmans
1995, Duckworth 1996a), south (Bergmans 1995); probably
in between. Bamboo groves (Lekagul and McNeely 1977).
Too few records in Lao PDR to assess altitudinal range, but
occurs in at least Mekong plains.
RECENT INFORMATION ON MURIDAE
All species of rats, as with most other mammals, are
potentially trapped or hunted for food in rural Lao PDR
(Table 1). Various species are frequently sold in urban food
markets (Annex 1). Most species, especially commensals,
are fairly prolific breeders and should be able to tolerate moderate
to high levels of trapping. However, little or no research
has been done on the breeding ecology and population dynamics
of any of the native or near-endemic forest-dwelling
species, and it is not known whether they can also tolerate
similar levels of harvest. Rats also are reported to be important
crop pests in some areas (Table 2).
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