Black-footed tree-rat
The black-footed tree-rat also known as Djintamoonga[2] (Mesembriomys gouldii) is one of two endemic arboreal rat species from the genus Mesembriomys found in the northern regions of Australia.
| Black-footed tree-rat | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Mesembriomys |
| Species: | M. gouldii |
| Binomial name | |
| Mesembriomys gouldii (Gray, 1843)[1] | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Hapalotis hirsutus Gould, 1842 | |
The species is one of the largest murids found in Australia.[3]
Description
The tree rat has a greyish-brown coat that is shaggy and coarse and has a creamy white underbelly. The hind feet are black with well developed pads and strong sharp claws. They have large ears and a long tail with a brush of white hair at the tip.[3] They grow to a mass of 830 grams (29 oz).[4] The height of the rat is typically 250 to 310 millimetres (9.8 to 12.2 in) with a length of 320 to 420 millimetres (13 to 17 in).[5]
Behaviour
The tree rat is solitary and nocturnal, it is arboreal sheltering in tree hollows and pandanus stands during the day.[4][5]
Feeding
It is a folivore and frugivore and its diet may be supplemented by invertebrates such as termites and molluscs.
Distribution
Mesembriomys gouldii has a range extending from the savannahs of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland westward to the Kimberley region of Western Australia.[5] Habitats such as tropical woodlands or open forest are suitable for the tree rat.[4] It is not commonly found across the area and the population has been reduced between 30 and 50% in the last decade.[5] The estimated population is 30,000.[5]
References
Footnotes
- Woinarski, J. & Burbidge, A.A. (2016). "Mesembriomys gouldii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T13211A22448856. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T13211A22448856.en.
- "Mesembriomys gouldii gouldii — Black-footed Tree-rat (Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory), Djintamoonga". Biodiversity - Species Profile and Threats Database. Department of the Environment. 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- "Black-footed tree-rats" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. July 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
- Brydie Hill (2012). "Threatened Species of the Northern Territory - Mesembriomys gouldii" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- "Black-footed Tree-rat". Australian Wildlife Conservancy. 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
Bibliography
- Topi Pigula http://zoommagazin.iprima.cz/priroda/vedci-jasaji-nad-obri-krysou-ma-cerne-tlapky-zije-na-stromech http://zoommagazin.iprima.cz/ Czech TV Prima ZOOM - article about endangered rat]
- Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. pp. 894–1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.