Sunda giant rats
Sunda giant rats | ||||||||||||
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Sundamys | ||||||||||||
Musser & Newcomb , 1983 |
The Sunda giant rats ( Sundamys ) are a genus of rodents from the group of old world mice (Murinae). The genus includes three types.
These rodents reach a head body length of 18 to 30 centimeters, the tail measures an additional 18 to 37 centimeters and the weight is around 200 to 650 grams. Their rough fur is colored brown or gray-brown on the upper side, the underside is whitish to light gray. The dark brown ears are round, the feet and tail are also dark brown.
Sunda giant rats are native to Southeast Asia , their range extends from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo and Java . Their habitat are tropical forests up to 2700 meters above sea level. They are often found in wetlands or near bodies of water, they can swim well. They are nocturnal and mainly stay on the ground. Their diet consists of fruits, grass and other parts of plants, but also insects, crabs and even small lizards.
There are three types:
- The Mountain Sunda Giant Rat ( Sundamys infraluteus ) lives on Borneo and Sumatra.
- The Bartels Sunda Giant Rat ( Sundamys maxi ) occurs in western Java.
- The Müller Sunda giant rat ( Sundamys muelleri ) lives on the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines island of Palawan .
The IUCN lists P. maxi as "high risk" ( endangered ), the other two species are not endangered.
The Sunda giant rats are systematically classified in the Rattus group , that is, they are closely related to the rats .
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 .