Rajah rats
| Rajah rats | ||||||||||||
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Red rajah rat ( Maxomys surifer ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Maxomys | ||||||||||||
| Sody , 1936 |
The Rajah rats ( Maxomys ) are a genus of rodents from the group of old world mice (Murinae).
General
Rajah rats reach a head body length of 10 to 24 centimeters, in addition there is a 8 to 22 centimeter long tail. The weight varies between 35 and 285 grams, depending on the species. Their fur is colored reddish brown to dark brown on the upper side, the underside is white, gray or light brown. The scaled tail is also darker at the top and lighter at the bottom. Characteristic for the genus are the slender and elongated hind foot, the relatively short tail and various details in the skull structure.
The range of the Rajah rats extends in Southeast Asia from Myanmar to Sulawesi . They live on the bottom of tropical rainforests and never climb trees. They build burrows that lead to a leaf-padded nest chamber. The food is mainly roots, windfalls and other plant parts, but also insects as complementary food. All Rajah rats live in hiding and avoid human proximity.
Systematics
According to Wilson & Reeder (2005), the Rajah rats occupy an isolated position within the old world mice and are therefore classified in their own genus group, the Maxomys group. According to the genetic studies by Lecompte et al. (2008) they are part of a radiation of the old world mice, the rattini , which is mainly widespread in Southeast Asia, New Guinea and Australia .
A total of 17 types are distinguished:
- Mountain Rajah rat ( Maxomys alticola ) lives in northern Borneo.
- Small rajah rat ( Maxomys baeodon ) is known from a few scattered locations in northern Borneo.
- Bartels-Rajah rat ( Maxomys bartelsii ) inhabits western and central Java.
- Dollmann rajah rat ( Maxomys dollmani ) is endemic to Sulawesi.
- Hellwald Rajah rat ( Maxomys hellwaldi ) is also only found on Sulawesi.
- Sumatran Rajah rat ( Maxomys hylomyoides ), a little-known species, lives in western Sumatra.
- Malay Rajah rat ( Maxomys inas ) inhabits the Malay Peninsula.
- The broad-nosed Rajah rat ( Maxomys inflatus ) lives in mountainous regions on Sumatra.
- Indochinese Rajah rat ( Maxomys moi ) is found in Vietnam and Laos.
- Musschenbroek rajah rat ( Maxomys musschenbroekii ) is native to the island of Sulawesi.
- Ocher-bellied rajah rat ( Maxomys ochraceiventer ) lives in parts of northern Borneo.
- Pagai rajah rat ( Maxomys pagensis ) is endemic to the Mentawai Islands off the coast of Sumatra.
- Palawan Rajah rat ( Maxomys panglima ) inhabits Palawan and neighboring islands in the southern Philippines.
- Brown rajah rat ( Maxomys rajah ) is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo.
- Red Rajah rat ( Maxomys surifer ), the most widespread species, lives in large parts of Southeast Asia as far as Java and Borneo.
- Watts Rajah rat ( Maxomys wattsi ) is only known from one site on Sulawesi.
- Whitehead Rajah rat ( Maxomys whiteheadi ) is found on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo.
The IUCN lists M. pagensis and M. wattsi (as "critically endangered" endangered ), M. inflatus , M. rajah and M. whiteheadi are considered "at risk" ( vulnerable ). Too little data are available for M. baeodon , M. dollmani , M. hylomyoides and M. ochraceiventer , the other species are “not endangered” ( least concern ).
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 .
