Cloud rat

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Cloud rats
Temporal range: Middle pleistocene - Recent
Slender-tailed Cloud Rat.jpg
Northern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rat ( Phloeomys pallidus ) at the Cincinnati Zoo
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Subfamily: Murinae
Tribe: Phloeomyini
Alston, 1876
Genera [1]
Diversity
21 species

The cloud rats or cloudrunners are a tribe (Phloeomyini) [2] of arboreal and nocturnal herbivorous rodents endemic to the cloud forests of the Philippines. They belong to the family Muridae and include five genera: Batomys (hairy-tailed rats), Carpomys (dwarf cloud rats), Crateromys (bushy-tailed cloud rats), Musseromys (Luzon tree mice), and Phloeomys (giant cloud rats). They range in size from as large as 50 cm (20 in) to as small as 74 mm (2.9 in). Cloud rats are threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting. Several species are endangered or critically endangered. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Description

Cloud rats are characterized by long furry or hairy tails and short hind limbs with grasping feet. They spend most of their time in the canopy of cloud forests, hence the name "cloud rat" or "cloudrunner". They are believed to be entirely herbivorous, primarily eating leaves, buds, bark, fruits, and seeds. Their ecology and behavior are poorly known. Cloud rats belonging to the genera Batomys, Crateromys, and Phloeomys are typically large, with the largest species being Phloeomys pallidus (reaching up to 2.7 kg (6.0 lb) in weight) and Crateromys schadenbergi (reaching up to 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) in weight). They measure from around 20 to 50 cm (7.9 to 19.7 in) in length. Members of the genera Carpomys and Batomys are smaller, with a maximum weight of 165 g (0.364 lb) and 225 g (0.496 lb), respectively. The smallest are members of the recently-described genus Musseromys, with a recorded weight of only 15.5 g (0.034 lb) and body lengths of only 74 to 84 mm (2.9 to 3.3 in). [3] [6]

Conservation

Several species of cloud rats are classified as endangered or critically endangered by the IUCN. Cloud rats are primarily threatened with habitat loss and human encroachment due to the extensive deforestation of the Philippines. Larger species of cloud rats (Phloeomys and Crateromys spp.) are also hunted for food, usually by hunter-gatherer tribes in the mountains of the Philippines. In some areas, they are the most commonly hunted species, and hundreds of animals are estimated to be killed annually. Hunting or possession of wildlife is illegal in the Philippines, under Republic Act 9147 (the Wildlife Protection and Conservation Law of 2001), but enforcement still remains problematic. [5] [7] [8] [9] [10]

Several zoos keep and breed cloud rats in captivity; including the London Zoo, [11] Prague Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Wingham Wildlife Park, [12] Chester Zoo, [13] and the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo. [14]

Taxonomy

The cloud rat clade (the "Phloeomys division", sensu Musser & Carleton, 2005), now treated as the tribe Phloeomyini (LeCompte et al., 2008), includes the closely-related genera Batomys (hairy-taled rats), Carpomys (dwarf cloud rats), Crateromys (bushy-tailed cloud rats), Musseromys (Luzon tree mice), and Phloeomys (giant cloud rats). They belong to the subfamily Murinae of the family Muridae (rats and mice). [1] [3] [15]

Hamiguitan hairy-tailed rat (Batomys hamiguitan) from Mount Hamiguitan in southeastern Mindanao Batomys hamiguitan.jpg
Hamiguitan hairy-tailed rat ( Batomys hamiguitan ) from Mount Hamiguitan in southeastern Mindanao

Note: Extinct species known only from fossils are marked with †

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murinae</span> Subfamily of rodents

The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. Members of this subfamily are called murines. In terms of species richness, this subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the rodents.

<i>Apomys</i> Genus of rodents

Apomys, commonly known as earthworm mice, is a genus of rodent endemic to the Philippines. Mice belonging to this genus are generally called Philippine forest mice and can be found on most islands of the Philippines except in Palawan, the Sulu Archipelago, and the Batanes and Babuyan group of islands.

<i>Batomys</i> Genus of rodents

Batomys is a genus of rodent endemic to the Philippines. It has six extant described species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewlike rat</span> Genus of rodents

The shrewlike rats, genus Rhynchomys, also known as the tweezer-beaked rats are a group of unusual Old World rats found only on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. They look a great deal like shrews and are an example of convergent evolution. Shrewlike rats evolved to be vermivores (worm-eaters) and insectivores feeding on soft-bodied invertebrates associated with leaf litter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luzon montane forest mouse</span> Species of rodent

The Luzon montane forest mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae, from the genus Apomys. It occurs only in the Philippines, where it has been found on the large northern island Luzon. It is most closely related to the large Mindoro forest mouse, which occurs on Mindoro. There may be another related species in the Sierra Madre, but this species is yet undescribed. The Luzon montane forest mouse is a relatively large, ground-dwelling rat with a tail that is quite short for its genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large Mindoro forest mouse</span> Species of rodent

The large Mindoro forest mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae, from the genus Apomys. It is found only in the Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a large mouse with large feet, a long tail and an elongated snout which is morphologically unique within its genus. It is covered in soft fur which is mostly dark brown in colour. Its closest relative is thought to be the Luzon montane forest mouse, based on genetic and morphological similarities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luzon hairy-tailed rat</span> Species of rodent

The Luzon forest rat or Luzon hairy-tailed rat is one of five species of rodent in the genus Batomys. It is in the diverse family Muridae. This species is found only in the Philippines. This species was the first of the five to be identified and stayed the sole indicator for the genus for roughly 75 years, until 1988. Majority of this species lives on Mount Data which is one of several mountains in the Cordillera Mountains region of Northern Luzon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short-footed Luzon tree rat</span> Species of rodent

The short-footed Luzon tree rat or greater dwarf cloud rat is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Philippines, specifically in northern Luzon. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat</span> Species of rodent

The Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat, Dinagat crateromys or Dinagat cloud rat is a species of cloud rat in the family Muridae. It is one of the eight cloud rats found only in the Philippines, and is specifically endemic to Dinagat Island. It is known locally as hawili. A single specimen was discovered in 1975 by Dioscoro S. Rabor and his team during a scientific survey in Dinagat. The natural habitat is tropical lowland forests, which is facing environmental threats. Habitat loss is caused by progressive deforestation from heavy logging and chromite mining in the area. Almost 40 years after the original discovery, five live specimens were discovered by Milada Řeháková, Václav Řehák and William L.R. Oliver, in 2012.

<i>Crateromys</i> Genus of rodents

Crateromys is a genus of rodent, native to the Philippines, in the family Muridae. It contains four species extant species, and one extinct species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat</span> Species of rodent

The giant bushy-tailed cloud rat or Luzon bushy-tailed cloud rat is a large, endangered species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is only found in pine and mossy forest at altitudes of 2,000–2,740 metres (6,560–8,990 ft) in the Central Cordillera of Luzon, the Philippines. Relatively little is known about its behavior, but it is nocturnal, mainly arboreal and feeds on various types of vegetation.

<i>Phloeomys</i> Genus of rodents

Phloeomys, the slender-tailed cloud rats, is a genus of large rodents in the family Muridae. Both species in this genus are endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Although their tail is covered by hairs, it is considerably less dense and shorter than in the rarer bushy-tailed cloud rats that also inhabit the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Luzon giant cloud rat</span> Species of rodent

The northern Luzon giant cloud rat or northern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rat, also known as bu-ot in Filipino, is a large species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is only found in Luzon, the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamiguitan hairy-tailed rat</span> Species of rodent

The Hamiguitan hairy-tailed rat is one of five species of rodent in the genus Batomys. It is in the diverse family Muridae. This species is found only in the Philippines. is a yellow-brown animal with a long furry tail, weighs about 175 grams, and is related to several other species known in Central Mindanao, Dinagat Island and Luzon. It lives only in an area that's at least 950 meters high, and in dwarf mossy forests less than 10 square kilometers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Katanglad shrew-mouse</span> Species of rodent

The Katanglad shrew-mouse, also known as the Kitanglad shrew-mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is known only from one specimen taken at 2250 m on Mount Kitanglad, Bukidnon Province, Philippines.

Musseromys is a genus of rodent, in the family Muridae, endemic to the Philippines. Four species are known, all from Luzon:

Batomys uragon is a species of cloud rat endemic to the Philippines. It was first discovered in 1988, and the full description was published in 2015, in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. It is so far found only on Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. The first specimen was collected from Mount Isarog at the southern side of the island. Other 14 specimens were later collected. It is the fourth species of mammal living only on that mountain. The new species was described by Danilo S. Balete, Eric A. Rickart, Lawrence R. Heaney, and Sharon A. Jansa. It was classified as new species based on DNA analyses and structural descriptions. It is different from its closest relative, the Luzon hairy-tailed rat, in its cytochrome b sequence, moderate body size, colour patterns, and skull structure.

Danilo S. Balete, also known as Danny Balete, was a Filipino zoologist and biologist. His is known for his work on the Philippines' endemic mammal species. He pursued the question of what determines species diversity. The research by Balete and his team overturned previously held notions that diversity decreased in mountainous regions, showing that harsh environments could generate, rather than suppress, species diversity.

Lawrence Richard Heaney is an American mammalogist, ecologist and biogeographer. His research focus is the mammals of the Philippines.

The Amuyao tree-mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found on Mount Amuyao in Luzon, Philippines.

References

  1. 1 2 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. p. 1301. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. ↑ Database, Mammal Diversity (2021-11-06), Mammal Diversity Database, doi:10.5281/zenodo.5651212 , retrieved 2021-12-01
  3. 1 2 3 4 Heaney, Lawrence R.; Balete, Danilo S.; Rickart, Eric A.; Veluz, Maria Josefa; Jansa, Sharon A. (16 May 2014). "Three New Species of Musseromys (Muridae, Rodentia), the Endemic Philippine Tree Mouse from Luzon Island". American Museum Novitates (3802): 1–27. doi:10.1206/3802.1. S2CID   53542249.
  4. ↑ van der Geer, Alexandra; et al. (2010). Evolution of island mammals : adaptation and extinction of placental mammals on islands. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell. p. 226. ISBN   978-1-4051-9009-1.
  5. 1 2 Oliver, W. L. R.; Cox, C. R.; Gonzales, P. C.; Heaney, L. R. (January 1993). "Cloud rats in the Philippines — preliminary report on distribution and status". Oryx. 27 (1): 41–48. doi: 10.1017/S0030605300023942 .
  6. ↑ Musser, Guy. "Cloud rat". Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  7. ↑ Heaney, L.R.; Mallari, N.A.D. (2002). "A preliminary analysis of current gaps in the protection of threatened Philippine terrestrial mammals". Sylvatrop. 10 (2000): 28–39.
  8. ↑ Russell, Ruby (19 July 2016). "Cloud rats of the sky islands: 28 new mammal species found in the Philippines". DW. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  9. ↑ "A rediscovery of Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat helped starting conservation activities on Dinagat Island, Philippines". Tarsius Project. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  10. ↑ Flora, Ian Ocampo (5 April 2021). "2 giant cloud rats rescued". SunStar. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  11. ↑ "Cloud rat arrives at London Zoo". BBC News. 2004-11-11. Retrieved 2008-04-28.
  12. ↑ "Northern Luzon Cloud Rat". Wingham Wildlife Park. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  13. ↑ "Chester Zoo has just become home to a tree kangaroo called Sangria". Chester Live. 2018-05-23. Retrieved 2019-10-04.
  14. ↑ "White Nights Exhibit". www.jerusalemzoo.org. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  15. ↑ Heaney, Lawrence Richard; Balete, Danilo S.; Duya, Mariano Roy M.; Duya, Melizar V.; Jansa, Sharon A.; Steppan, Scott J.; Rickart, Eric A. (15 July 2016). "Doubling diversity: a cautionary tale of previously unsuspected mammalian diversity on a tropical oceanic island". Frontiers of Biogeography. 8 (2). doi: 10.21425/F58229667 .
  16. ↑ Balete, D.S.; Heaney, L.R.; Rickart, E.A.; Quidlat, R.S.; Ibañez, J.C. (2008). "A new species of Batomys (Mammalia: Muridae) from eastern Mindanao Island, Philippines". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 121 (4): 411–428. doi:10.2988/07-47.1. S2CID   129828157.
  17. ↑ Balete, D.S.; Rickart, E.A.; Heaney, L.R.; Jansa, S.A. (2015). "A new species of Batomys (Muridae, Rodentia) from southern Luzon Island, Philippines". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 128 (1): 22–39. doi: 10.2988/0006-324X-128.1.22 .
  18. 1 2 3 Ochoa, Janine; Mijares, Armand S B; Piper, Philip J; Reyes, Marian C; Heaney, Lawrence R (2021-04-23). "Three new extinct species from the endemic Philippine cloud rat radiation (Rodentia, Muridae, Phloeomyini)". Journal of Mammalogy. 102 (gyab023): 909–930. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyab023. ISSN   0022-2372.
  19. ↑ Reyes, Marian C.; Ingicco, Thomas; Piper, Philip J.; Amano, Noel; Pawlik, Alfred F. (January 2017). "First fossil evidence of the extinct Philippine cloud rat Crateromys paulus (Muridae: Murinae: Phloeomyini) from Ilin Island, Mindoro, and insights into its Holocene abundance". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 130 (1): 84–97. doi:10.2988/17-00012. S2CID   135196784.
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