Sunda giant rats

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sunda giant rats
Systematics
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Long-tailed mice (Muridae)
Subfamily : Old World Mice (Murinae)
Tribe : Rattini
Rattus group
Genre : Sunda giant rats
Scientific name
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 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 .

Web links

Commons : Sunda Giant Rats ( Sundamys )  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files
  • Sundamys on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved October 16, 2009.