Zyzomys

Zyzomys Temporal range: Late Pliocene - Recent
The Central rock rat (Zyzomys pedunculatus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Muridae
Subfamily:	Murinae
Tribe:	Hydromyini
Genus:	Zyzomys Thomas, 1909
Type species
Mus argurus
Species
Zyzomys argurus Zyzomys maini Zyzomys palatilis Zyzomys pedunculatus Zyzomys woodwardi

Zyzomys is a genus of rodents with unusually thick, long tails. Five species of the genus are known in Australia, where they are called rock rats or thick-tailed rats. The genus was classified by Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas in 1909.

Taxonomy

There are five known species of rock-rat. ^[1] The central rock rat (Zyzomys pedunculatus) was once believed to be extinct until rediscovered in 1996.

• Silver-tailed rock rat, Zyzomys argurus
• Arnhem Land rock rat, Zyzomys maini
• Carpentarian rock rat, Zyzomys palatilis
• Central rock rat, Zyzomys pedunculatus
• Kimberley rock rat, Zyzomys woodwardi

References

1. 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. 1521–1522. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.