New Guinea Jerboa
| New Guinea Jerboa | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Lorentzimys | ||||||||||||
| Jentink , 1911 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Lorentzimys nouhuysi | ||||||||||||
| Jentink , 1911 |
The New Guinea jerboa ( Lorentzimys nouhuysi ) is a rodent from the group of Old World mice (Murinae).
General
New Guinea jerboa reach a head body length of 6 to 9 centimeters, in addition there is a 11 to 13 centimeter long tail. Their weight is 10 to 23 grams. Their fur is colored red-brown to gray on the upper side, the underside is whitish-gray, the feet are whitish. In the nominate form L. n. Nouhuysi , which lives in the lowlands, the fur is short, in the subspecies L. n. Alticola , which lives in the mountains, it is long, soft and dense. The head is short and broad, the feet are slender.
These rodents live in New Guinea , where they are found in forests across the island. They live up to 2700 meters above sea level.
New Guinea jerboa are exclusively tree inhabitants and prefer to stay in forests with dense undergrowth. They create nests in the trees, several animals live together in the nests. In the trees they move running and jumping, but less climbing. The diet of these animals consists of insects, green parts of plants and mushrooms.
New Guinea jerboa are common and widespread; according to the IUCN , they are not endangered species.
Systematics
According to Wilson & Reeder (2005), the New Guinea jerboa occupies an isolated position among the Old World mice and is therefore classified in its own genus group, the Lorentzimys group. According to Lecompte et al. (2008) it is part of a radiation of old world mice, the hydromyini , that mainly lives in New Guinea and Australia .
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 .
Web links
- Lorentzimys nouhuysi onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved May 29, 2009.