''Phyllomys'' 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 ...

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. Th ...

spiny rat, geographically restricted to the forests of eastern

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 ...

. The etymology of the genus name derives 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 peri ...

words (), meaning "plant leaf", and (), meaning "mouse, rat".

Phylogeny

''Phyllomys'' is the sister genus to ''Echimys'', 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''.

Systematics

There are thirteen named

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in the genus. These species have frequently been placed in the genus ''

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 (), meani ...

''. *''

Phyllomys blainvilii The golden Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys blainvillii'') is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin ...

'' – golden Atlantic tree-rat *'' Phyllomys brasiliensis'' – orange-brown Atlantic tree-rat *'' Phyllomys dasythrix'' – drab Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys kerri Kerr's Atlantic tree-rat or Moojen's Atlantic tree rat (''Phyllomys kerri''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both Sout ...

'' – Kerr's Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys lamarum The pallid Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys lamarum'') is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is a species of spiny rat. It is endemic to Brazil, where it is found from Paraiba to Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Sout ...

'' – pallid Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys lundi Lund's Atlantic tree-rat, (''Phyllomys lundi''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. ...

'' – Lund's Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys mantiqueirensis The Mantiqueira Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys mantiqueirensis'') is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America an ...

'' – Mantiqueira Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys medius The long-furred Atlantic tree-rat or Thomas's Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys medius''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in ...

'' – long-furred Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys nigrispinus The black-spined Atlantic tree-rat, (''Phyllomys nigrispinus''), is a South American spiny rat species in the family Echimyidae. It is found in southeastern Brazil, where it inhabits moist broadleaf forest and semideciduous forest in the Atl ...

'' – black-spined Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys pattoni The rusty-sided Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys pattoni''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Lati ...

'' – rusty-sided Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys sulinus The southern Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys sulinus'') is a species of spiny rat from South America, described in 2008. It is found in the subtropical region of southern Brazil, from the states of São Paulo to Rio Grande do Sul. The etymology ...

'' – Southern Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys thomasi The giant Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys thomasi'') is a spiny rat species from Brazil. It is endemic to São Sebastião Island off the coast of São Paulo State SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6t ...

'' – giant Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys unicolor The short-furred Atlantic tree-rat or Wagner's Atlantic tree rat (''Phyllomys unicolor''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country ...

'' – short-furred Atlantic tree-rat

References

Taxa named by Peter Wilhelm Lund Rodent genera {{Echimyidae-stub