Order Rodentia - Family Muridae Author Wilson, Don E. Author Reeder, DeeAnn text 2005 The Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2 1189 1531 book chapter 0-8018-8221-4 10.5281/zenodo.7316535 Rattus richardsoni Tate 1949 Rattus richardsoni Tate 1949 , Am. Mus . Novit., 1421: 1 . Type Locality: New Guinea , Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya), northern slopes of Snow Mtns (Pegunungan Maoke), near Lake Habbema, 3225 m . Vernacular Names: Richardson's New Guinea Mountain Rat . Distribution: New Guinea , Prov. of Papua (= Irian Jaya); recorded from three areas high in the Snow Mtns: Lake Habbema region, Mt Wilhelmina, and Mt Jaya (Carstensz Range), 3225-4500 m (Flannery, 1995 a ; Taylor et al., 1982 ). Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc) as Stenomys richardsoni . Discussion: Rattus leucopus species group. Described as an unusual and distinctive member of Rattus , but later provisionally associated with a " niobe group" ( Tate, 1951 ), a relationship supported by multivariate analyses of morphometric variables ( Taylor et al., 1982 ). Most specimens are from tussock grassland and tundra-like habitat (mainly rock or gravel interspersed with mats of herbs and grass tufts), regions that are cold and wet throughout the year (Flannery, 1995 a ; Taylor et al., 1982 ). Taylor et al. (1982) included omichlodes , but Flannery (1995 a ) correctly removed it from synonymy (see that account).