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Echimyid
Echimyidae is the family of neotropical spiny rats and their fossil relatives. This is the most species-rich family of Hystricognathi, hystricognath rodents. It is probably also the most ecologically diverse, with members ranging from fully arboreal to Terrestrial animal, terrestrial to fossorial to semiaquatic habits. They presently exist mainly in South America; three members of the family also range into Central America, and the Hutia, hutias are found in the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean. Species of the extinct subfamily Heteropsomyinae formerly lived on Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico in the Antilles, probably until the arrival of Europeans. Characteristics In general form, most spiny rats resemble rats, although they are more closely related to guinea pigs and chinchillas. Most species have stiff, pointed hairs, or Spine (zoology), spines, that presumably serve for protection from predators. Many echimyids can Autotomy, break off their tails when attacked. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eumysopinae
Echimyidae is the family of neotropical spiny rats and their fossil relatives. This is the most species-rich family of Hystricognathi, hystricognath rodents. It is probably also the most ecologically diverse, with members ranging from fully arboreal to Terrestrial animal, terrestrial to fossorial to semiaquatic habits. They presently exist mainly in South America; three members of the family also range into Central America, and the Hutia, hutias are found in the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean. Species of the extinct subfamily Heteropsomyinae formerly lived on Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico in the Antilles, probably until the arrival of Europeans. Characteristics In general form, most spiny rats resemble rats, although they are more closely related to guinea pigs and chinchillas. Most species have stiff, pointed hairs, or Spine (zoology), spines, that presumably serve for protection from predators. Many echimyids can Autotomy, break off their tails when attacked. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Echimyinae
Echimyinae is a subfamily of rodents belonging to the spiny rats family Echimyidae. It contains 14 arboreal genera—all the members of the tribe Echimyini, plus ''Callistomys''—a few terrestrial genera (''Thrichomys'', ''Hoplomys'', and ''Proechimys''), and a subaquatic genus (''Myocastor''). Systematics The taxonomic content of Echimyinae has been reshaped over time, because of two realizations. The first is a better understanding of the evolution of morphological characters, leading to the recognition that key character states long used to group genera into higher units were demonstrably homoplastic. The second came from the a phylogenetic analysis of molecular sequence data. Phylogeny The subfamily Echimyinae groups most of the spiny rat family's generic diversity into two tribes: Echimyini and Myocastorini Myocastorini is a tribe of echimyid rodents, proposed in 2017, and containing the five extant genera '' Callistomys'', '' Hoplomys'', '' Myocastor'', ''Proechim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atlantic Spiny Rat
The Atlantic spiny rats are all found in the genus ''Trinomys''. They are a group of South American spiny-rats in the family Echimyidae. Extant species of ''Trinomys'' Based on Natureserve.InfoNatura: Animals and Ecosystems of Latin America eb application 2007. Version 5.0 . Arlington, Virginia (USA): NatureServe. Available: http://www.natureserve.org/infonatura. The species of spiny rats in the genus ''Trinomys'' are apparently all Brazilian. In particular many of them are endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Not much is known for certain about their ranges however, which still are being investigated, with frequent extensions to the recorded distributions of several species in various ecological classes of forest and dry land. They do not however appear to occur at high altitudes, and several of their ranges appear to be parapatric. Most species of ''Trinomys'' are terrestrial and ambulatory, though ''Trinomys yonenagae'' is unusual that it is semi-f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hoplomys Gymnurus2
The armored rat (''Hoplomys gymnurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Hoplomys''. It is found in Latin America, from northern Honduras to northwest Ecuador. It possesses a range of spines on its back and sides of the body. Description Adults weigh between with males weighing more on average than females. They are born with soft fur, and the spines begin growing after the first month. The thick spines on the back and sides measure up to and in diameter. The head and body measures between in length, with the tail adding another . The color of the armored rat range from black to reddish brown, and has a pure white underside. They are similar in appearance to Tome's spiny-rat, but the eyes of the armored rat are smaller and they have a longer snout. Its diet includes fruit, insects and green plant matter. The normal litter size is one to three. Habitat The armored rat is a nocturnal species, which occupies burrows. These burr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Echimys
''Echimys'' is a genus of the spiny rats family, the Echimyidae. Members of this genus are collectively called spiny tree-rats. The genus name ''Echimys'', and also its synonym ''Echinomys'', derive from the two Ancient Greek words (), meaning "hedgehog", and (), meaning "mouse, rat". Classification The genus contains three extant species * White-faced spiny tree-rat - ''Echimys chrysurus'' *Dark spiny tree-rat - ''Echimys saturnus'' * Vieira's spiny tree-rat - ''Echimys vieirai'' Members of the genera ''Callistomys'', '' Makalata'', ''Pattonomys'', and ''Phyllomys ''Phyllomys'' is a genus of arboreal spiny rat, geographically restricted to the forests of eastern Brazil. The etymology of the genus name derives from the two ancient greek words (), meaning "plant leaf", and (), meaning "mouse, rat". Phy ...'' were all formerly considered part of the genus ''Echimys''. Phylogeny ''Echimys'' is the sister genus to ''Phyllomys'', and then to ''Makalata''. These taxa ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carterodon
Owl's spiny rat (''Carterodon sulcidens'') is a rodent species in the family Echimyidae found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area .... It is the only species in the genus ''Carterodon''. Owl's spiny rat has evolved characteristics such as a heightened ability to dig in open grasslands during times of environmental change.Bezerra, Alexandra & Marinho-Filho, Jader & Carmignotto, Ana. (2011). A review of the distribution, morphology, and habit of the Owl’s Spiny Rat Carterodon sulcidens (Lund, 1841) (Rodentia: Echimyidae). Zoological studies. 50. 566-576. Phylogeny The genus ''Carterodon'' is the sister group to the family Capromyidae (hutias). In turn, this clade shares evolutionary affinities with some genera of spiny rats belonging to the subfamily Euryzyg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euryzygomatomyinae
Euryzygomatinae is a subfamily of rodents, proposed in 2017, and containing three extant genera of spiny Echimyidae: '' Clyomys'', '' Euryzygomatomys'', and ''Trinomys''. Members_of_this_echimyid_subfamily_all_share_an_origin_in_the_eastern_part_of_Brazil,_close_to_the_ e_...''. Members_of_this_echimyid_subfamily_all_share_an_origin_in_the_eastern_part_of_Brazil,_close_to_the_Atlantic_Forest. __Morpho-anatomy_ The_teeth_of_Euryzygomatomyines_are_characterized_by_several_features: *_elongate_lower_and_upper_incisor_roots_; *_five_lophids_on_the_lower_deciduous_premolars_4_; *_either_four_lophids_in_''Trinomys'',_or_three_lophids_in_''Clyomys''_and_''Euryzygomatomys'',_on_the_lower_molars_1_; *_well-connected_Molar_(tooth)#Lophodont.html" ;"title="Atlantic_Forest.html" ;"title="e ...''. Members of this echimyid subfamily all share an origin in the eastern part of Brazil, close to the Atlantic Forest">e ...''. Members of this echimyid subfamily all share an origin in the eastern p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coypu
The nutria (''Myocastor coypus''), also known as the coypu, is a large, herbivorous, semiaquatic rodent. Classified for a long time as the only member of the family Myocastoridae, ''Myocastor'' is now included within Echimyidae, the family of the spiny rats. The nutria lives in burrows alongside stretches of water, and feeds on river plant stems. Originally native to subtropical and temperate South America, it has since been introduced to North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, primarily by fur farmers. Although it is still hunted and trapped for its fur in some regions, its destructive burrowing and feeding habits often bring it into conflict with humans, and it is considered an invasive species. Nutria also transmit various diseases to humans and animals mainly through water contamination. Etymology The genus name ''Myocastor'' derives from the two Ancient Greek words (), meaning "rat, mouse", and (), meaning "beaver". Literally, therefore, the name ''Myocastor'' means ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Capromyinae
Hutias (known in Spanish as jutía) are moderately large cavy-like rodents of the subfamily Capromyinae that inhabit the Caribbean islands, with most species restricted to Cuba and Hispaniola. Twenty species of hutia have been identified, but at least half are extinct. Only Desmarest's hutia and the prehensile-tailed hutia remain common and widespread; all other extant species are considered threatened by the IUCN. The extinct giant hutias of the family Heptaxodontidae also inhabited the Caribbean, but are not thought to be closely related, with the giant hutias belonging in the superfamily Chinchilloidea. Description Most species have a head-and-body length that ranges from and weigh less than , but Desmarest's hutia has a head-and-body length of and weighs . They resemble the coypu in some respects. Tails are present, varying from vestiges to prehensile. They have stout bodies and large heads. Most species are herbivorous, though some consume small animals. Instead of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hutia
Hutias (known in Spanish as jutía) are moderately large cavy-like rodents of the subfamily Capromyinae that inhabit the Caribbean islands, with most species restricted to Cuba and Hispaniola. Twenty species of hutia have been identified, but at least half are extinct. Only Desmarest's hutia and the prehensile-tailed hutia remain common and widespread; all other extant species are considered threatened by the IUCN. The extinct giant hutias of the family Heptaxodontidae also inhabited the Caribbean, but are not thought to be closely related, with the giant hutias belonging in the superfamily Chinchilloidea. Description Most species have a head-and-body length that ranges from and weigh less than , but Desmarest's hutia has a head-and-body length of and weighs . They resemble the coypu in some respects. Tails are present, varying from vestiges to prehensile. They have stout bodies and large heads. Most species are herbivorous, though some consume small animals. Instead of burro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ferreira's Spiny Tree-rat
Ferreira's spiny tree-rat (''Mesomys hispidus'') is a spiny rat species found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. The etymology of the species name corresponds to the Latin word ' meaning ''bristly''. Systematics The description of ''Mesomys hispidus'' was conducted on a specimen collected by the naturalist Alexandre Rodrigues Ferreira during his travels in Amazonian Brazil, hence the species name. Initially deposited in the Museu Real d'Ajuda of Portugal, it has been brought to Paris in 1808 after the plundering of Lisbon by the armies of Napoleon. Then, in 1817, Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest described the species based on this specimen housed in the National Museum of Natural History (France) of Paris. Using ancient DNA technology, a portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene has been sequenced from a small skin fragment of this holotype. DNA sequence comparisons then suggested that the specimen was originally obtained ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Desmarest's Hutia
Desmarest's hutia or the Cuban hutia (''Capromys pilorides'') is a stout, furry, rat-like mammal found only on Cuba and nearby islands. Growing to about 60 cm (2 ft), it normally lives in pairs and feeds on leaves, fruit, bark and sometimes small animals. It is the largest living hutia (subfamily Capromyinae), a group of rodents native to the Caribbean that are mostly endangered or extinct. Desmarest's hutia remains widespread throughout its range, though one subspecies (''C. p. lewisi'') native to the nearby Cayman Islands went extinct shortly after European colonization in the 1500s. Description The Desmarest's hutia has a head-and-body length of , a tail that is long, and weigh .Nowak, R. M. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol. 2. 6th edition. p. 1706. It has thick, coarse fur which extends to the tip of the tail. The colour of the body fur varies from black to brown, with a light sand colour and red also seen. The body is stocky and the legs short. It moves with a slo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
