Microhydromys

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Microhydromys
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily : Old World Mice (Murinae)
Tribe : Hydromyini
Hydromys group
Genre : Microhydromys
Scientific name
Microhydromys
Tate & Archbold , 1941

Microhydromys is a genus of rodents from the group of old world mice (Murinae). The genus includes two types.

They are very small representatives of the old world mice, they reach a head body length of 8 to 11 centimeters, plus a tail 8 to 10 centimeters long. Their weight is 9 to 12 grams. The fur of these animals is brown to black-gray on the back, the belly is a little lighter. The snout is short, the first upper molar is noticeably elongated.

Both species live in New Guinea , their habitat are hilly forests. They occur at slightly lower altitudes than other, closely related Old World mice in New Guinea. They are predominantly soil dwellers and feed on insects.

There are two types:

  • Microhydromys richardsoni lives in northern New Guinea. The fur of this species is rather dark gray in color, the tip of the tail is white.
  • Microhydromys argenteus was described in 2010 and is only known from three localities in southern New Guinea.

In the past, Pseudohydromys musseri (Flannery, 1989) was also included in the genus Microhydromys , but placed back in the genus Pseudohydromys .

Little is known about the degree of endangerment of these animals, both species are listed by the IUCN under “ data deficient ” .

The animals are systematically classified as close relatives of the swimming rats ( Hydromys ) in the Hydromys group.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Kristofer M. Helgen , Tanya Leary, and Kenneth P. Aplin: A Review of Microhydromys (Rodentia: Murinae), with Description of a New Species from Southern New Guinea . American Museum Novitates, 3676, pp. 1-24, 2010
  2. ↑ Kristofer M. Helgen & LE Helgen: Biodiversity and biogeography of the moss-mice of New Guinea: a taxonomic revision of Pseudohydromys. RS Voss & MD Carleton (eds.): Systematic Mammalogy: Contributions in Honor of Guy G. Musser . Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 331, pp. 230-313, 2009

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 .

Web links

Commons : Microhydromys  - collection of images, videos and audio files