Voalavos
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| Carleton & Goodman , 1998 |
The Voalavos ( Voalavo ) are a mouse-like rodent genus from the subfamily of the Madagascar rats (Nesomyinae), which was scientifically described only in 1998. The two species of this genus, the Northern Voalavo ( Voalavo gymnocaudus ) and the Eastern Voalavo ( Voalavo antsahabensis ), discovered only in 2005 , occur only in Madagascar and are accordingly endemic there .
features
The two Voalavo species are very small rodents with a head-trunk length of about 8 to 10 centimeters and a tail length of 10 to 12.5 centimeters. The weight is 17 to 26 grams. Outwardly they are very similar to each other with a gray and dense, soft back fur with a silky texture. The belly is white to light gray. The tail of both species is largely bare and two-tone, the top is gray and the underside white.
The females have three pairs of teats .
distribution
Both types of Voalavos are only endemic to Madagascar and are only known from individual sites. The evidence for the Northern Voalavo comes from two mountain ranges of the Northern Highlands, one in the Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve and one in the Marojejy National Park , in the northernmost province of the island, the Antsiranana province . The Eastern Voalavo is only proven in the province of Antananarivo in the central-eastern part of the island.
Way of life
Very little information is available about the way of life of the Voalavos. The animals live in humid mountain rainforest areas in the higher mountains and probably feed on seeds and other parts of plants. They are nocturnal and may live in ground nests or in the foliage of trees. You will be able to climb lianas that are thinner than a pencil.
Systematics
The Voalavos were discovered in 1994 and in 1998 by Michael D. Carleton and Steven M. Goodman as a new genus within the Madagascar rats (Nesomyinae) together with the Northern Voalavo as a type scientifically described and established. The first description of the eastern Voalavo followed in 2005, also by a working group around Goodman.
The animals of this genus resemble the dormouse tails ( Eliurus ) and are probably closely related to them. Based on morphological data, they are considered sister groups. The generic name Voalavo is derived from a Malagasy word that is generally used for "rodent" or "rat".
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Genus Voalavo. In: SM Goodman, A. Monadjem: Family Nesomyidae (Pouched Rats, Climbing Mice and Fat Mice) In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editor): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Rodents 2. (HMW, Volume 7) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2017, pp. 188-189. ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 .
- ↑ Michael D. Carleton, Steven M. Goodman: New taxa of nesomyine rodents (Muroidea: Muridae) from Madagascar's northern highlands, with taxonomic comments on previously described forms. Fieldiana Zoology 90, 1998; S., 163-200. ( Digitized version ).
- ↑ a b c Steven M. Goodman, Daniel Rakotondravony, Hary N. Randriamanantsoa, Marlène Rakotomalala-Razanahoera: A new species of rodent from the montane forest of central eastern Madagascar (Muridae: Nesomyinae: Voalavo). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 118 (4), 2005; Pp. 863-873. doi : 10.2988 / 0006-324X (2005) 118 [863: ANSORF] 2.0.CO; 2 .
- ↑ voalavo . In: 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 .
