Megalomys desmarestii

Megalomys desmarestii, also known as the Martinique muskrat,^[2] Desmarest's pilorie,^[3] or the Martinique giant rice rat,^[1] is an extinct rice rat from Martinique in the Caribbean.

Megalomys desmarestii
Stuffed specimen
Conservation status
Extinct (1897)  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Subfamily:	Sigmodontinae
Genus:	†Megalomys
Species:	†M. desmarestii
Binomial name
†Megalomys desmarestii (J. Fischer, 1829)

Description

It was among the largest species of West Indian rice rats, as big as a cat, and was one of the first Caribbean mammals to become extinct during the 20th century.^[2] It may have been semi-aquatic, as it was known to escape into the sea when pursued by predators, but it never swam away from the island.^[4]

Illustration

Extinction

It was common on Martinique until the end of the 19th century, when attempts were made to exterminate it because it was considered to be a pest of the island's coconut plantations. It was also hunted for food; however, due to its strong musky odor, this was uncommon. On 8 May 1902, the volcano Mount Pelée erupted, completely destroying the island's principal city of Saint-Pierre. It has been speculated that the rice rat became extinct then or during a later eruption in 1902, but predation by introduced small Indian mongooses is more likely to have been the primary cause of its extinction.^[1]