Lance rat

Lance rat
	Lance rat ( Hoplomys gymnurus ) ; (specimen in the National Museum of Natural History , Washington, DC)
Systematics
Partial order :	Hystricognathi
without rank:	Guinea Pig Relatives (Caviomorpha)
Family :	Quill rats (Echimyidae)
Subfamily :	Eumysopinae
Genre :	Hoplomys
Type :	Lance rat
Scientific name of the genus
	Hoplomys
	JA Allen , 1908
Scientific name of the species
	Hoplomys gymnurus
	( Thomas , 1897)

The lance rat ( Hoplomys gymnurus ) is a rodent in the spiny rat family and the only species in the genus Hoplomys .

features

The general physique of the species resembles the actual rats ( Rattus ), but there is no closer relationship between these animals. There are many spiky hairs in the fur on the top, which are stiffer and longer than any other spiny rat. The spines can be 3 cm long and 0.2 cm thick on the back. They break out easily when bent against the prevailing direction. The spines are white at the root and turn brown to blackish towards the tip. The fur on the underside is soft and white in color.

The lance rat reaches a head-trunk length of 22 to 32 cm and a tail length of 15 to 26 cm. The tail breaks off easily ( autotomy ) and is not reformed. The weight of the species is between 218 and 790 g.

distribution and habitat

This rodent is found from eastern Honduras to northwestern Ecuador . Its habitat consists of open evergreen forests, mostly in clearings or near watercourses. In mountains, the species reaches 750 meters above sea level.

Way of life

The lance rat lives mainly on the ground and digs underground structures in dry embankments. These consist of a tunnel up to 2 m long and two rooms. This quill rat is nocturnal and eats various parts of plants and insects .

Mating can presumably occur at any time of the year, and the average litter will contain two pups. These are well developed compared to most other rodents, with open eyes and thin, soft fur. The spines form after about a month.

status

The population is assessed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as stable and the species is listed as Least Concern .

Reference 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 .

Individual evidence

↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Hoplomys ).
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 2. 6th edition. 1999, pp. 1689-1690.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Hoplomys gymnurus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2013. Posted by: Gómez-Laverde, M., Anderson, RP, Emmons, L. & Samudio, R., 2008. Accessed May 18, 2014.

Web links

Commons : Hoplomys gymnurus - collection of images, videos and audio files

[Wilson-1] Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Hoplomys ).

[Walkers-2] Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 2. 6th edition. 1999, pp. 1689-1690.

[IUCN-3] Hoplomys gymnurus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2013. Posted by: Gómez-Laverde, M., Anderson, RP, Emmons, L. & Samudio, R., 2008. Accessed May 18, 2014.