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Kondana soft-furred rat is a critically endangered (CR) species, known from a single locality – Sinhgad in the northern Western Ghats, India. However, the taxonomic status of this species is uncertain due to its close resemblance to the widely distributed soft-furred field rat  Millardia meltada , which has serious implications on the conservation status of  Millardia kondana . In this study, we assessed the current taxonomic status of  M. kondana  through an integrative approach combining morphological, molecular and environmental niche modeling analyses. We collected morphological data from the specimens around Sinhgad as well as preserved specimens in the museum. Both morphological and two-dimensional (2D) morphometrical analyses showed a significant difference between  M. kondana  and  M. meltada . Molecular phylogeny based on cytochrome  b  gene revealed a sister relationship between  M. kondana  and  M. meltada , and both species form distinct well-supported monophyletic clades. Niche modeling also predicted niche segregation between the two species:  M. kondana  preferred areas with a high elevation and precipitation seasonality while  M. meltada  favored regions with a low elevation and precipitation. We confirmed that  M. kondana  is taxonomically distinct from  M. meltada , and based on our estimates of its occurrence and occupancy,  M. kondana  continues to be treated as CR until further detailed investigations.

mammalia

Assessing the status of critically endangered Kondana soft-furred rat ( Millardia kondana ) using integrative taxonomy: combining evidence from morphological, molecular and environmental niche modeling