Giant tree rats
| Giant tree rats | ||||||||||||
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| Thomas , 1898 |
The giant tree rats ( Mallomys ) are a genus of rodents from the group of old world mice (Murinae). These animals live in New Guinea .
features
Giant tree rats reach a head body length of 29 to 47 centimeters, plus a 28 to 44 centimeter long tail. The weight varies between 0.9 and 2 kilograms. Their fur is extremely long and woolly. It is usually dark brown or gray in color on the upper side, the underside is white, sometimes white horizontal stripes are also present on the trunk. The paws are black, the front half of the barely hairy tail is brownish and the rear half is white. The head is solidly built, the snout is noticeably short.
Habitat and way of life
Giant tree rats are endemic to New Guinea , where they live mainly in the mountain forests. They mainly stay in trees and build their nests in tree hollows, rarely on the ground. These animals feed on saplings and other vegetable matter.
Systematics
There are four types scientifically described :
- Mallomys aroaensis lives in eastern New Guinea.
- Mallomys gunung is only known from two places in the New Guinea Central Mountains. The species is loud IUCN ( "high risk" endangered ).
- Mallomys istapantap lives in the central mountains in central and eastern New Guinea.
- Mallomys rothschildi occurs all over New Guinea.
Another, so far undescribed species lives in the Arfak Mountains in western New Guinea. In 2007 an expedition of Conservation International discovered a possible further species that had not been described before in the Foja Mountains in the east of the Indonesian part of New Guinea. In 2009 another possible species was found in the crater of the extinct volcano Mount Bosavi .
The genus is systematically part of the Pogonomys group , a radiation of Old World mice that is predominantly found in New Guinea. With the actual rats ( Rattus ), however, they are only distantly related.
Giant tree rats and humans
Due to their large size, the animals are sometimes hunted and eaten and their teeth are used as tools. However, three of the four species are still common and not considered to be threatened.
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 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): 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 .
- ↑ Two new mammals found in Indonesian 'lost world': green group ( Memento from December 19, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ 82 centimeter long rat discovered in volcanic crater on derstandard.at , accessed on September 10, 2009.