''Maxomys'' is a

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, widespread in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. They are mid-sized rodents, similar to

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

s, that live on the ground of

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equatori ...

s. There they build nests, padded with fallen leaves from trees. They feed on roots, fallen fruit, and other plants, as well as insects. All species are shy and avoid food from humans. The genus ''Maxomys'' was originally considered a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between t ...

of ''Rattus'', the rat genus. When it became established as its own genus in the 1960s, ''Maxomys'' was often combined with the genera ''

Niviventer ''Niviventer'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae endemic to Southeast Asia. It contains the following species: * Anderson's white-bellied rat, ''Niviventer andersoni'' * Brahma white-bellied rat, ''Niviventer brahma'' * '' Niviventer ...

'' and ''

Leopoldamys ''Leopoldamys'' is a genus of rodents in the family Muridae endemic to Southeast Asia. It contains the following species: * Sundaic mountain long-tailed giant rat (''Leopoldamys ciliatus'') * '' Leopoldamys diwangkarai'' * Edwards's long-taile ...

''. In the currently accepted taxonomy, Musser, Marshall, and Boeadi established ''Maxomys'' in 1979.

List of species

Genus ''Maxomys'' - rajah rats: * Mountain spiny rat, ''Maxomys alticola'' Thomas, 1888, Borneo * Small spiny rat, ''Maxomys baeodon'' Thomas, 1894, Borneo * Bartels's spiny rat, ''Maxomys bartelsii'' Jentink, 1910, Java *

Dollman's spiny rat Dollman's spiny rat (''Maxomys dollmani'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pac ...

, ''Maxomys dollmani'' Ellerman, 1941, Sulawesi *

Hellwald's spiny rat Hellwald's spiny rat (''Maxomys hellwaldii'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and ...

, ''Maxomys hellwaldii'' Jentink, 1878, Sulawesi * Sumatran spiny rat, ''Maxomys hylomyoides'' Robinson and Kloss, 1916, Sumatra *

Malayan mountain spiny rat The Malayan mountain spiny rat (''Maxomys inas'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of State ...

, ''Maxomys inas'' Bonhote, 1906, Malayan Peninsula * Fat-nosed spiny rat, ''Maxomys inflatus'' Robinson and Kloss, 1916, Sumatra *

Mo's spiny rat Mo's spiny rat (''Maxomys moi'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Laos and Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast ...

, ''Maxomys moi'' Robinson and Kloss, 1922, Vietnam, Laos *

Musschenbroek's spiny rat Musschenbroek's spiny rat (''Maxomys musschenbroekii'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia. References

* Maxomys Mammals described in 1878 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Endemic fauna of Ind ...

, ''Maxomys musschenbroekii'' Jentink, 1878, Sulawesi * Chestnut-bellied spiny rat, ''Maxomys ochraceiventer'' Thomas, 1894, Borneo * Pagai spiny rat, ''Maxomys pagensis'' Miller, 1903, Mentawai Islands * Palawan spiny rat, ''Maxomys panglima'' Robinson, 1921, Palawan and neighboring islands *

Rajah spiny rat The Rajah spiny rat (''Maxomys rajah'') also known as the brown spiny rat is endemic to Thailand and Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, and adjacent islands (Payne'' et al.'', 1985). Distribution and ecology Corbet and Hill (1992) mention that ''Maxomy ...

, ''Maxomys rajah'' Thomas, 1894, Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo *

Red spiny rat The red spiny rat (''Maxomys surifer'') is a rodent species in the family Muridae that inhabits forests in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and on Java, Borneo and Sumatra islands. In China, it has been recorded only in Yunnan ...

, ''Maxomys surifer'' Miller, 1900, Sumatra, Java, Borneo *''

Maxomys tajuddinii ''Maxomys tajuddinii'' is a species of rodent in the genus ''Maxomys''. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three fed ...

'' Achmadi, Maryanto & Maharadatunkamsi, 2012, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo * Watts's spiny rat, ''Maxomys wattsi'' Musser, 1991, Sulawesi *

Whitehead's spiny rat Whitehead's spiny rat (''Maxomys whiteheadi'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a coun ...

, ''Maxomys whiteheadi'' Thomas, 1894, Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo

List of species

References

Further reading