A revision of the genus Zaglossus (Monotremata, Tachyglossidae), with description of new species and subspecies
Author
T. F. Flannery
Author
C. P. Groves
text
Mammalia
1998
62
3
367
396
journal article
http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1998.62.3.367
1db94db9-0aa3-41e5-a48a-b48152648f35
270023
2285F206-66A5-4DA9-9ADE-EF15961FB919
Zaglossus
bartoni
clunius
Thomas and Rothschild, 1922
Holotype:
BMNH 28.10.1.33, an adult female skin and skull from the Rawlinson Mountains, Huon Peninsula.
Diagnosis:
A small
Zaglossus
which invariably has five claws on each foot. Significantly larger than
Z
.
b. smeenki
in all dimensions except RBR and IOW. It is significantly smaller than
Z
.
b.
bartoni
(
at 0.05
)
in BIMAST, RH and PAL. The beak is shorter relative to the braincase than in Z.
b.
bartoni
.
It is significantly smaller
(
at 0.05
)
than
Z
.
b. diamondi
in CBL, BZW, BIMAST, RBR, RH, PAL and B.
Distribution:
The mountains of the Huon Peninsula
(
Fig.
1).
Specimens collected by Van Deusen during the Seventh Archbold Expedition came from elevations of between about 2,100 m and 2,700 metres in the Saruwaged Mountains. He reported
(
in
Van Deusen and George 1969
)
that in this region
Zaglossus
was “ an inhabitant of humid montane forests that are almost continually blanketed by cloud cover ”
(
p. 14
).
Specimens seen; 12 adult, 1 juvenile skulls, 10 skins.
Description:
The fur is long and black. It usually all but obscures the spines in the middle of the back. The spines are white. Colouration seems to be uniform in this subspecies.
Discussion:
Zaglossus bartoni clunius
is
geographically isolated from other
Zaglossus
by
the dry
lowlands of the Markham River
Valley.
The Huon
Peninsula
is
an
isolated
and mountainous region
which is
home to a number
of other
endemic mammalian
subspecies,
including
Mallomys aroaensis hercules
,
Hyomys goliath strobilurus
,
Abeomelomys sevia sevia
,
Pseudochirops corinnae argcnteus
,
Thylogale browni lanatus
and
Phalanger carmelitae coccygis
.
Only one endemic mammal species is known from the Huon:
Dendrolagus matschiei
.