South American giant rats

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South American giant rats
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Burrowers (Cricetidae)
Subfamily : Sigmodontinae
Oryzomyalia
Tribe : Akodontini
Genre : South American giant rats
Scientific name
Kunsia
Hershkovitz , 1966

The South American giant rats ( Kunsia ) are a species of rodent living in South America from the group of New World mice with two species.

These animals are the largest living New World mice. They reach a head body length of 16 to 29 centimeters, the tail is relatively short with 8 to 16 centimeters. Their fur is rough and especially dense on the top, it is dark brown mixed with gray on the back and lighter colored on the belly. The feet are large and strong and have long claws.

South American giant rats are native to eastern Bolivia , central and southern Brazil, and northern Argentina . Their habitat are light forests and savannahs up to an altitude of 1100 meters.

These rodents lead a burrowing way of life. In the dry season they live almost entirely underground, in the rainy season they often come to the surface. They are nocturnal, otherwise little is known about their way of life.

There are two kinds:

  • Kunsia fronto is only known from a few places in northeast Argentina and central Brazil.
  • Kunsia tomentosus lives in eastern Bolivia and western Brazil.

Both species are only known from a few localities and are likely to have a very fragmented distribution area. The IUCN lists K. fronto as endangered and K. tomentosus as 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 .

Web links