Unlike Indonesia's other larger islands which have suffered high deforestation rates, Sulawesi still supports extensive tracts of both mountain and lowland moist forests that cover around 60% of the island. The small mammal fauna of Sulawesi is dominated by 49 Murid species, but with surprisingly and intriguingly low numbers of squirrel species (9 species) compared to neighbouring Borneo and Sumatra. Among the globally threatened species, notable features include the striking Sulawesi Giant Squirrel Rubrisciurus rubriventer, Sulawesi montane long-nosed squirrel Hyosciurus heinrichi and the short-tailed Talaud melomys Melomys caurinus. Also, three AZE trigger species occur in Sulawesi; the Critically Endangered Heavenly Hill Rat Bunomys coelestis of the Gunung Lampobatang Protection Forest and the Long-headed Hill Rat Bunomys prolatus Watts's Spiny Rat Maxomys wattsi from the Morowali Nature Reserve.

The island's complex topography and relative lack of commercially valuable tree species have resulted in lower pressures for land and timber seen in the rest of Indonesia. However, the logging that has occurred here as locally disastrous consequences for wildlife and people whose have suffered from the effects of soil erosions and fires.

International and national NGOs are engaging with palm oil and soy producing businesses to try and help Sulawesi avoid the environmental and social problems arising from converting forests and peatlands into agriculture seen in Sumatra and Borneo.

With 22 Data Deficient species, many of which are found in the north of the island, Sulawesi supports arguably the least known faunas of all the SMSG Key Regions. Clearly, a huge survey effort is needed to survey these hardly known species and find out what other small mammals are there.