Edwards long-tailed giant rat

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Edwards long-tailed giant rat
Systematics
Family : Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily : Old World Mice (Murinae)
Tribe : Rattini
Dacnomys group
Genre : Long-tailed giant rats ( Leopoldamys )
Type : Edwards long-tailed giant rat
Scientific name
Leopoldamys edwardsi
( Thomas , 1882)

Edwards long-tailed giant rat ( Leopoldamys edwardsi ) is a species of mammal from the genus of the long-tailed giant rats ( Leopoldamys ) within the rodents (Rodentia). It is distributed from the southeast of the People's Republic of China to India and Southeast Asia.

features

The Edwards long-tailed giant rat reaches a head-torso length of 21.0 to 29.0 centimeters and a tail length of 26.4 to 31.5 centimeters with a weight of 230 to 480 grams. The rear foot length is 42 to 58 millimeters and the ear length 28 to 32 millimeters. It is therefore a very large rat with a long tail and long ears. The fur is smooth and shiny, the back fur is brown to gray-brown in color. The belly side is white and sharply demarcated from the fur on the back. The tail is two-colored with a brown top and a creamy white underside. The tops of the front and rear feet are brownish-white. The skull has a total length of 54 to 58 millimeters.

distribution

The Edwards long-tailed giant rat is common from southeast China to India and Southeast Asia. In India, the species lives in Arunachal Pradesh , Meghalaya , Nagaland and West Bengal . In China it occurs from Guizhou to Zhejiang and Guangdong , in Sichuan , the south of Gansu and Shaanxi , Hubei and on the island of Hainan . For Southeast Asia it has been documented from northern Myanmar and Laos to northern and central Vietnam and in an isolated population in northern Thailand . The height distribution extends to about 400 meters.

Way of life

The Edwards long-tailed giant rat lives in lowland and mountain forests. It is primarily nocturnal and feeds omnivorously on both plants and animal food. The rat usually stays on the ground, but it can also climb while looking for food.

Systematics

The Edwards long-tailed giant rat is classified as a separate species within the long-tailed giant rats (genus Leopoldamys ), which consists of six to nine species. The first scientific description was made by Oldfield Thomas in 1882, who described the species using individuals from western Fujian, China.

In addition to the nominate form Leopoldamys edwardsi edwardsi in southeast China in the area from Guizhou to Zhejiang and Guangdong, Smith & Yan Xie 2009 distinguish three further subspecies for China: Leopoldamys edwardsi gigas in central China in Sichuan, Hubei and the south of Gansu and Shaanxi, Leopoldamys edwardsi milleti im southern Yunnan and Leopoldamys edwardsi hainanensis , which is endemic to Hainan Island .

Hazard and protection

The species is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered (least concern). This is justified with the large distribution area, the assumed large stocks, the occurrence in several protected areas and the relatively good adaptability to habitat changes.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Edward's Leopoldamys. In: Andrew T. Smith, Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. 2008, p. 261.
  2. ↑ a b c d Leopoldamys edwardsi in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015-4. Posted by: K. Aplin, D. Lunde, S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  3. ↑ a b Leopoldamys edwardsi ( Memento of the original from December 22, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: 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 .  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.vertebrates.si.edu
  4. ↑ AE Balakirev, AV Abramov & VV Rozhnov: Revision of the genus Leopoldamys (Rodentia, Muridae) as inferred from morphological and molecular data, with a special emphasis on the species composition in continental Indochina. Zootaxa, 3640, pp. 521-549, 2013 doi : 10.11646 / zootaxa.3640.4.2

literature

  • Edward's Leopoldamys. In: Andrew T. Smith, Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. 2008, p. 261.

Web links