The Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat or Ryukyu rat (Diplothrix legata) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only extant species in the genus Diplothrix. It is found only in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Its natural habitat is 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
- 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.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Diplothrix legata.