| Megalomys desmarestii | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Stuffed specimen | |
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) | |
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.
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]
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 in the southern units of the country. 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]
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