This species was described in 1940 based on a single specimen that had been found in the 1920s on the island of Pulau Enggano, western Indonesia.

The species is, or rather was, living sympatrically with two additional congeneric species: the endemic and critically endangered Enggano Rat (Rattus enganus (Miller)) as well as the rather widespread Malayan Wood Rat (Rattus tiomanicus (Miller)).

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edited: 02.08.2022