The southern giant slender-tailed cloud rat or southern Luzon giant cloud rat (''Phloeomys cumingi''), also known as ''bugkon'' in Filipino, is a
vulnerable species of
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...
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 ...
, found only in southern
Luzon
Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
It is dark brown, occasionally with some reddish, but lacking the light-coloured sections usually seen in its close relative, the
northern Luzon giant cloud rat
The northern Luzon giant cloud rat (''Phloeomys pallidus'') or northern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rat, also known as ''bu-ot'' in Filipino, is a large species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is only found in Luzon, the Philippines.
Appeara ...
(''P. pallidus''). The southern giant slender-tailed cloud rat is a large rodent that has a total length of about and weighs .
Equally at home high amongst the branches of a tree as on the forest floor, the southern giant slender-tailed cloud rat is a slow-moving animal only active at night, spending the day in hollow trees or logs. It usually lives singly, or in pairs consisting of an adult male and female, or a female and her young, but larger groups have also been seen. Their diet consists primarily of tender, young leaves, but fruit is also reportedly eaten. The southern giant slender-tailed cloud rat typically gives birth to a single pup each year, with data indicating that most births take place during the late rainy season. The young are born in the hollow of a standing or fallen tree, or in a hole in the ground. The mother carries her young firmly attached to a nipple. In captivity, one cloud rat lived for over 13 years.
References
*
External links
''Phloeomys cumingi''at ITIS
''Phloeomys cumingi''at gbif
Rats of Asia
Phloeomys
Endemic fauna of the Philippines
Rodents of the Philippines
Fauna of Luzon
Fauna of Catanduanes
Fauna of Marinduque
Mammals described in 1839
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Murinae-stub