Pry-tail rats
| Pry-tail rats | ||||||||||||
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| Pogonomys | ||||||||||||
| Milne-Edwards , 1877 |
The prehensile tail rats ( Pogonomys ) are a genus of rodents from the group of old world mice (Murinae). The genus includes five species.
General
Claw-tail rats are relatively small, mouse-like animals. They reach a head body length of 9 to 15 centimeters, the tail is 13 to 24 centimeters, significantly longer than the trunk and the weight is up to 95 grams. The fur is soft and woolly, its color varies on the upper side from reddish brown to gray to blackish, the underside is colored white or light gray. The long tail, which can be used for grasping, is provided with large scales, it is predominantly colored brown, only the tip is flesh-colored. The ears are small, but the eyes are large.
Rapt tail rats live on New Guinea and offshore islands as well as in Australia . Their habitat are forests from sea level to 3000 meters above sea level. They are nocturnal, during the day they retreat to underground burrows. They can climb well and sometimes spend time in the trees. Their diet consists mainly of leaves and saplings.
Systematics
Within the murinae the pogonomys are the eponym of Pogonomys -Gattungsgruppe, a predominantly based in New Guinea group deviated nor the genera Abeomelomys , croissants tooth rats ( Anisomys ) chiruromys , Coccymys , Coryphomys , Weißohr giant rats ( Hyomys ), Guinea-small tooth rats ( Macruromys ) mallomys ( mallomys ) mammelomys , Pogonomelomys , Flores-cavity rats ( Spelaeomys ), and Guinea-Weißschwanz rats ( Xenuromys ) comprises.
According to genetic studies by Lecompte et al. (2008) the animals of the Pogonomys group are part of a radiation of old world mice, the hydromyini, which is mainly found in New Guinea and Australia. This radiation also includes the Chrotomys group , the Hydromys group , the Lorentzimys group , the Pseudomys group , the Uromys group and the Xeromys group . With the actual rats ( Rattus ), however, they are only distantly related.
There are five types.
- Pogonomys championi lives in a small area in central New Guinea.
- Pogonomys fergussoniensis is endemic to the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, east of New Guinea.
- Pogonomys loriae is distributed all over New Guinea.
- Pogonomys macrourus lives in New Guinea and the offshore Bismarck Archipelago , there is also a population in northeastern Australia.
- Pogonomys sylvestris lives in different regions of New Guinea.
P. fergussoniensis applies due to the small area of distribution and habitat destruction, according to IUCN as "critically endangered" ( endangered ) for P. championi lack accurate data, the other three species are common and not endangered.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
- Emilie Lecompte, Ken Aplin, Christiane Denys, François Catzeflis, Marion Chades, Pascale Chevret: Phylogeny and biogeography of African Murinae based on mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences, with a new tribal classification of the subfamily. In: BMC Evolutionary Biology. Vol. 8, 199, 2008, pp. 1-21, doi : 10.1186 / 1471-2148-8-199 .