De Vis giant tree rat
| De Vis giant tree rat | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Mallomys aroaensis | ||||||||||||
| ( De Vis , 1907) |
The De Vis giant tree rat ( Mallomys aroaensis ) is a rodent in the subfamily of Old World mice found in New Guinea .
Systematics
Recent papers and the IUCN list the population on the Huon Peninsula as a subspecies, Mallomys aroaensis hercules . In Mammal Species of the World from 2005, the taxon hercules is listed as a synonym of the nominate form .
features
With a head-to-trunk length of 344 to 415 mm, a tail length of 335 to 435 mm and a weight of 1.4 to 2 kg, the species is an extremely large representative of the old world mice. It has rear feet 65 to 72 mm long and ears 25 to 28 mm long. The hair of the dense and woolly fur has light and dark gray bands in the nominate form, which creates a spotted appearance. In addition, some uniformly dark outer hairs are interspersed. The subspecies on the Huon Peninsula has an unspotted black-gray fur on the top and an even darker eel line on its back. There is white fur on the underside.
The head is characterized by flesh-colored ears and long whiskers . In the De-Vis tree rat, the front half of the tail is black while the other half is pigment-free , giving it a white appearance. In contrast to the giant mountain tree rat ( Mallomys gunung ), the incisors of the species are orange. Females have one pair of teats on the chest and two pairs in the groin area.
distribution
The distribution area are mountains in the east of Western New Guinea (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea . The species resides in regions that are at an altitude of 1100 to 2700 meters. The De-Vis giant tree rat lives in tropical mountain forests, which can be native or reforested. She also visits adjacent agricultural areas and gardens.
Way of life
Presumably, leaves and young shoots serve as the main source of nutrition, which are completed with other parts of the plant. Like other giant tree rats, the species mostly looks for food on trees. The nest, on the other hand, is often created in caves in the earth or between rocks. In one burrow a female and a male could be registered at the same time. A female pregnant with an embryo and a nest with a mother and a young animal are documented.
Danger
The De-Vis tree rat is hunted as a meat supplier and some specimens fall prey to stray dogs. There are no clear threats to the entire population. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 7 - Rodents II . Lynx Edicions, 2017, ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 , pp. 692 (English).
- ↑ a b c Mallomys aroaensis in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2016. Posted by: Helgen, K., Bonaccorso, F., Singadan, R., Wright, D. & Aplin, K., 2016. Accessed 11. March 2020.
- ↑ 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, Mallomys aroaensis ).