Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat
Species of rodent From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat or Ryukyu rat (Diplothrix legata), also known as the rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only extant species in the genus Diplothrix and is endemic to the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Its natural habitat consists of temperate forests.
| Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| Stuffed specimen. Exhibit in the National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Diplothrix |
| Species: | D. legata |
| Binomial name | |
| Diplothrix legata (Thomas, 1906) | |
| Synonyms[1][2] | |
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Conservation
The species is threatened by habitat loss, predation by feral cats (with studies finding that the rat contributed 23% of feral cat's diet on Amami-Oshima),[3] and introduced nematode and helminth parasites.[4][5]
References
External links
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