Island rats
| Island rats | ||||||||||||
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Nesomys rufus |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nesomys | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1870 |
The island rats or red wood rats ( Nesomys ) are a genus of rodents from the group of Madagascar rats (Nesomyinae). The three species in this genus are endemic to Madagascar .
The long, soft fur of these animals is colored reddish brown on top, the flanks and legs are red, while the throat and belly are colored white. The hind limbs are relatively long compared to other mice and the three middle toes are enlarged, suggesting an at least partially hopping lifestyle. Island rats reach a head-trunk length of 16 to 23 centimeters, a tail length of 15 to 19 centimeters and a weight of 150 to 225 grams.
The habitat of these animals are tropical rainforests from sea level to the cloud forests at an altitude of 2300 meters. They are active during the day and at dusk and only live on the ground. To rest, they retreat to earthworks that can have several entrances and are lined with plant material. They are territorial, but the areas between 0.4 and 1.4 hectares, depending on the species, can overlap.
There are three types:
- Nesomys rufus tends to live in higher elevations in northern and eastern Madagascar.
- Nesomys audeberti is native to the east of the island.
- Nesomys lambertoni lives on the west coast of Madagascar.
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 .
Web links
- Search for "Nesomys" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .