The gray tree rat (''Lenothrix canus'') is a species of rodent in the family

Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. The name Muridae come ...

and the only species in the monotypic genus ''Lenothrix''. It is found in forests in Indonesia and Malaysia. A common species, the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

has rated it as being of " least concern".

Taxonomy

The gray tree rat was first described by the American zoologist

Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. (December 6, 1869 – February 24, 1956), was an American zoologist and botanist. He was born in Peterboro, New York, in 1869. His great-grandfather was Gerrit Smith, the wealthy abolitionist, businessman, and politic ...

as ''Lenothrix canus'' in 1903. Molecular data suggests that it is closely related to the white-bellied rats '' Niviventer'', but is widely diverged from '' Maxomys'', and its phylogenetic affinities are unclear. It has many primitive morphological, cranial and dental features and may have diverged from the core murine lineage at an early stage.

Description

Head-and-body length is and tail length is . The fur is dense and woolly and free from spines. The head and back are grayish brown or gray and the underparts are white or buffish white. The tail is dark at the base and white near the tip. The hind feet are broad and have claws on all the digits.(

Distribution

The species is native to Indonesia and Malaysia. Its range includes peninsular Malaysia, Penang Island and Tuangku Island, and the states of Sabah, Sarawak and

Kalimantan Kalimantan () is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo. In 2019, ...

in Borneo. That it has not been recorded from Brunei is probably the result of insufficient sampling rather than its absence from that state. It is an arboreal rodent, inhabiting all kinds of wooded habitats at altitudes of up to .

Ecology

The gray tree rat is

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

and spends most of its time in trees and bushes, feeding mainly on fruit.

Status

''L. canus'' is a common species, tolerant of disturbance to its habitat and able to live in secondary forest and rubber plantations. It is present in several protected areas including Gunung Palung National Park and

Mount Kinabalu National Park Kinabalu Park ( ms, Taman Kinabalu), established as one of the first national parks of Malaysia in 1964, is Malaysia's first World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its "outstanding universal values" and the role as one of ...

. No particular threats have been recognised and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of " least concern".

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1543734 Old World rats and mice Rodents of Indonesia Rodents of Malaysia Mammals described in 1903 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Gerrit Smith Miller Jr.