''Echimys'' is a genus of the spiny rats family, the

Echimyidae Echimyidae is the family of neotropical spiny rats and their fossil relatives. This is the most species-rich family of hystricognath rodents. It is probably also the most ecologically diverse, with members ranging from fully arboreal to terr ...

. 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 Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

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 The dark spiny tree-rat (''Echimys saturnus'') is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is a rarely encountered and nocturnal species, found in eastern Ecuador and central Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , imag ...

- ''Echimys saturnus'' * Vieira's spiny tree-rat - ''Echimys vieirai'' Members of the genera ''

Callistomys The painted tree-rat (''Callistomys pictus'') is a species of spiny rat from Brazil, restricted to north-eastern Bahia in eastern Brazil. It is the only species in the genus ''Callistomys''. Identification With a total length of ca. 30 cm ...

'', '' Makalata'', ''

Pattonomys ''Pattonomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Echimyidae Echimyidae is the family of neotropical spiny rats and their fossil relatives. This is the most species-rich family of hystricognath rodents. It is probably also the most ecologi ...

'', 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 are closely related to the genera ''Pattonomys'' and ''Toromys''. In turn, these five genera share phylogenetic affinities with a clade containing the bamboo rats ''Dactylomys'', ''Olallamys'', ''Kannabateomys'' together with ''Diplomys'' and ''Santamartamys''.

References

Rodent genera Taxa named by Georges Cuvier {{Echimyidae-stub