Distribution of rats at Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

Extensive surveys for rodents were undertaken within Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawasi, Indonesia from March 2000 to July 2001. A total of 40 sites were sampled in 17 habitats throughout the park. Capture rates were generally low with a total of 309 rats caught in 32,000 trap-nights giving an average of 104 captures per trap-night. Twenty species of rats from eight genera were caught, representing 46% of the known Sulawesian rat fauna. Dominant species in the sample caught were Rattus hoffmanni (16.56% from 314 individuals captured), Bunomys chrysocomus, B. prolatus, B. penitus, Taeromys celebensis and Rattus marmosurus. Several rarely recorded rodents that inhabit mountain tops were captured in this survey, namely Melasmothrix naso, M. rhinogradoides and Lenomys meyeri. The distribution of many of the rodents was heavily affected by elevation and human disturbance. This was quantified through the Principle Component Analysis, with PC1, PC2 and PC3 accounting for 61.63%, 15.12% and 11.34% of total variance, respectively. PC1 appears to be weighted heavily by altitude. Maxomys hellwaldii, Bunomys prolatus and Rattus hoffmanni, which prefer lower montane habitats, were located on positive margin while Taeromys punicans, Bunomys penitus, Melasmothrix rhinogradoides, M. naso, Lenomys meyeri and Maxomys wattsi, prefer mountain tops, were located on the negative margin. PC2 mostly implies a gradient of human impact. Paruromys dominator and Bunomys penitus preferring highland natural forests were situated on the positive margin while Rattus exulans, Taeromys arcuatus and T. hamatus, preferring mix garden, marshes and lower montane forest were positioned on the negative margin. We were unable to make any inferences to PC3, partly due to its low contribution of 11.34% to the total variance.