Goliath rat
| Goliath rat | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Hyomys goliath | ||||||||||||
| ( Milne-Edwards , 1900) |
The Goliath rat ( Hyomys Goliath ) is a rodent of the genus Weißohr giant rats ( Hyomys ). It occurs in the two subspecies Hyomys goliath goliath and Hyomys goliath strobilurus in the region from Mount Hagen in western Papua New Guinea to the extreme southeast of the island and on the Huon Peninsula . Because of its stately size, it was named after the giant of the same name from the Old Testament .
features
Males of this species reach a head-trunk length of 295 to 365 mm, a tail length of 256 to 381 mm, a hind foot length of 57 to 60.4 mm, an ear length of 25 to 26.9 mm and a weight of 750 to 755 G. The females are bigger. They reach a head-torso length of 302 to 390 mm, a tail length of 270 to 350 mm, a hind foot length of 53 to 64 mm, an ear length of 18.5 to 28 mm and a weight of 850 to 945 g. The 60 mm long outer hairs are white. The body hair is brownish gray. There are white tufts of hair around the ears. The fur on the underside is dirty white with gray bases. The tail scales are slightly pointed or spatulate. Most of the tail, about 200 mm, is white. The outer hairs of the subspecies Hyomys goliath strobilurus are mixed colors . Some are black with white tips, others are completely white. The bases of the ears are not white. The feet are black.
The teat formula is 0/2 = 4
habitat
The Goliath Rat inhabits tropical wet forests, forest edges, old gardens and regrowing forest areas near villages at altitudes between 1500 m and 2800 m.
Way of life
The goliath rat digs its nest in the ground, in caves under tree roots, under rocks or under fallen trees. The diet includes saplings from wild bamboo and palm trees and the nuts from wild screw trees. Occasionally she invades gardens. The reproduction is considered to be relatively slow. Typically only one cub is born, with a female having been observed with a suckling newborn in December.
status
The Goliath rat is classified by the IUCN as "not endangered" ( least concern ). It is not considered to be particularly common, but neither is it considered rare. The indigenous peoples, such as the Daribi in the Chimbu Province or the tribes of the Cromwell Mountains, hunt them with dogs as a source of food.
literature
- George HH Tate: Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 65. The Rodents of Australia and New Guinea. In: Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. Vol. 97, No. 4, 1951, ISSN 0003-0090 , pp. 183-430, here pp. 276-277.
- Timothy Flannery : The Mammals of New Guinea. Revised and updated edition. Reed Books, Chatswood 1995, ISBN 0-7301-0411-7 , p. 279.
Web links
- Hyomys goliath inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: Leary, T., Singadan, R., Menzies, J., Helgen, K., Wright, D., Allison, A. & Aplin, K., 2008. Retrieved August 27, 2013.