Müller Sunda giant rat

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Müller Sunda giant rat
Systematics
Family : Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily : Old World Mice (Murinae)
Tribe : Rattini
Rattus group
Genre : Sunda giant rats ( Sundamys )
Type : Müller Sunda giant rat
Scientific name
Sundamys muelleri
( Jentink , 1879)
Distribution area of ​​the Müller Sunda giant rat

The Muller Sunda Giant Rat ( Sundamys muelleri ) is a rodent in the long-tailed mouse family that is found in Southeast Asia .

The distribution area of ​​the species extends from the Malay Peninsula via Borneo and Sumatra to Palawan and many smaller islands in the region. Due to minor differences in size and coat color, many island populations have been described as subspecies. Phylogenetic studies could not confirm this classification. In Mammal Species of the World, all previously introduced taxa are listed as synonyms .

features

As the German name suggests, the Müller Sunda giant rat is a strikingly large rodent with a total length of 460 to 650 mm and a tail length of 250 to 370 mm and a weight of 200 to 470 g. It has 47 to 55 mm long hind feet and 20 to 27 mm long ears. The top is covered with rough, shaggy fur that is dark brown in color. In addition, several long black hairs are mixed in. The light gray to brown fur on the underside is shorter. The long tail is dark brown to black in color. There are four pairs of teats in females .

Way of life

The Müller Sunda Giant Rat lives mostly in humid landscapes in the lowlands near watercourses. It occasionally reaches 1650 m in the mountains. The animals are mostly nocturnal, but can go looking for food during the day. They are omnivores and feed, for example, on fruits, leaves, young shoots, insects or snails. The average litter size is 3.8 offspring, occasionally up to 9 offspring.

status

Changes to the landscape are likely to have a negative impact on the existing population. Minor hunting by the non-Muslim population in the range is assumed. The Müller Sunda giant rat lives in several protected areas. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Sundamys muelleri in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: Aplin, K., 2016. Accessed December 18, 2017th
  2. ↑ Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference . 3. Edition. tape 1 . Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Sundamys muelleri [accessed December 18, 2017]).
  3. ↑ a b c Heaney et al .: Sundamys muelleri ( en ) In: Synopsis of Philippine Mammals . The Field Museum, Chicago. 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2017.