''Canariomys'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of rodents (Old World rats and mice) that once existed on the islands of

Tenerife Tenerife (; ; formerly spelled ''Teneriffe'') is the largest and most populous island of the Canary Islands. It is home to 43% of the total population of the archipelago. With a land area of and a population of 978,100 inhabitants as of Janu ...

and Gran Canaria, part of the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. These giant rats could reach a weight of about . They were herbivores; their diet was based on plant materials, probably soft vegetables such as roots, ferns, and berries, but not grass. ''C. tamarani'' were considered herbivores, eating everything plant-like except grass with good digging skills. While ''C. bravoi'' were considered as a rat character, because of its large size, with an omnivorous diet with good climbing skills. They were one of two groups of rodents native to the archipelago, alongside the

lava mouse The lava mouse (''Malpaisomys insularis'') is an extinct endemic rodent from the Canary Islands, Spain. It is the only species in the genus ''Malpaisomys''. The lava mouse is known from Holocene and Pleistocene deposits in the eastern Canary ...

(''Malpaisomys insularis''), which was native to

Fuerteventura Fuerteventura () is one of the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the North Africa region, and politically part of Spain. It is located away from the northwestern coast of Africa. The island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNES ...

and

Lanzarote Lanzarote (, , ) is a Spanish island, the easternmost of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is located approximately off the north coast of Africa and from the Iberian Peninsula. Covering , Lanzarote is the fourth-largest of the i ...

. It is generally believed that the species of Tenerife lived in a wooded area linked to the

laurisilva Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and el ...

and that it had climbing abilities, whereas the species of Gran Canaria lived in more open environments and was more linked to the excavation of burrows. Two species are currently recognized: *

Tenerife giant rat The Tenerife giant rat (''Canariomys bravoi'') is an extinct species of rodent endemic to the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, Spain. Many remains have been found during archeological digs. Most remains are from the Pleistoc ...

, ''Canariomys bravoi'' (Tenerife,

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

-Holocene) *

Gran Canaria giant rat The Gran Canaria giant rat (''Canariomys tamarani'') is an extinct species of rat endemic to the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain). This rodent is known from Holocene to pre-Hispanic fossil remains found at several places on the isl ...

, ''Canariomys tamarani'' (Gran Canaria, Pleistocene-

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

) Both species became extinct around the beginning of the

1st Millennium File:1st millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: Depiction of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity; The Colosseum, a landmark of the once-mighty Roman Empire; Kaaba, the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam; Chess, a new ...

, shortly after the first human settlement of the islands by the Guanches. Genetic evidence indicates that the genus is nested within '' Arvicanthis,'' specifically within the

African grass rat The Nile rat (''Arvicanthis niloticus'') is a species of rodent in the family Murinae. Taxonomy The species is divided into the following six subspecies. *''A. n. niloticus'': Nile, Egypt; *''A. n. dembeensis '' (): Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea; T ...

(''A. niloticus'') species complex, with an estimated divergence from its mainland relatives around 650,000 years ago.

References

* * Extinct mammals Extinct rodents Extinct animals of Africa Prehistoric murids Prehistoric rodent genera {{paleo-rodent-stub