Mallomys
Genus of rodents
| Mallomys Temporal range: Pleistocene to Recent | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mallomys gunung | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Tribe: | Hydromyini |
| Genus: | Mallomys Thomas, 1898 |
| Type species | |
| Mallomys rothschildi | |
| Species | |
| Mallomys aroaensis | |
Mallomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.[1] The name of the genus is formed from the Greek μαλλός, mallos, wool, and μῦς, mus, mouse/rat. These very large rats weigh between 0.95 and 2 kilograms (2.1 and 4.4 lb) and are native to highlands in New Guinea.[2] Little is known about their behavior, but they are believed to feed on leaves, grasses and other plant material.[2]
It contains the following species:
- De Vis's woolly rat (Mallomys aroaensis)
- Alpine woolly rat (Mallomys gunung)
- Subalpine woolly rat (Mallomys istapantap)
- Rothschild's woolly rat (Mallomys rothschildi)
- Bosavi woolly rat (Mallomys sp. nov.)[3]
- Arfak woolly rat (Mallomys sp. nov.)
- Foja woolly rat (Mallomys sp. nov.)
Conservation International (CI) and the Indonesia Institute of Science (LIPI) discovered two possibly undescribed mammals upon visit of the Foja Mountains in June 2007: a Cercartetus pygmy possum, one of the world's smallest marsupials, and a 1.4 kilograms (3.1 lb) Mallomys giant rat (five times the size of a Brown Rat) - found in Indonesia's Papua in 2005.[4]
References
- ^ Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 894–1531. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ a b Flannery, T. (1995). Mammals of New Guinea. Pp. 284-291. ISBN 0-7301-0411-7
- ^ BBC News 2009-09-06: Giant rat found in 'lost volcano' http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8210000/8210394.stm
- ^ Afp.google.com, Two new mammals found in Indonesian 'lost world': green group Archived 2007-06-09 at the Wayback Machine
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Extant species of subfamily Murinae (Pogonomys–Pseudomys)
Division
| Abeomelomys |
|
|---|---|
| Anisomys |
|
| Brassomys |
|
| Chiruromys |
|
| Coccymys |
|
| Hyomys (White-eared rats) |
|
| Macruromys (New Guinean rats) |
|
| Mallomys (Giant tree rats) |
|
| Mammelomys |
|
| Pogonomelomys (Rummler's mosaic tailed rats) |
|
| Pogonomys (Prehensile-tailed rats) |
|
| Xenuromys |
|
Division
| Conilurus |
|
|---|---|
| Leggadina |
|
| Leporillus (Australian stick-nest rats) |
|
| Mastacomys |
|
| Mesembriomys (Tree rats) |
|
| Notomys (Australian hopping mice) |
|
| Pseudomys (Australian native mice) |
|
| Zyzomys (Thick-tailed rats) |
|
- See also
- Aethomys–Chrotomys
- Colomys–Golunda
- Hadromys–Maxomys
- Melasmothrix–Mus
- Oenomys–Pithecheir
- Rattus
- Stenocephalomys–Xeromys
- Otomys
- Others
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