Daovantien’s limestone rat (''Tonkinomys daovantieni'') is a genus of
Muridae 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 n ...
native to
northeastern Vietnam. It was first discovered in a forested
talus habitat in the Huu Lien Nature Reserve,
Lang Son Province.
It is the only known species in the genus ''Tonkinomys''.
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]
Description
The genus is destiguished from other Indomalayan
The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia.
Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Indi ...
murids by "semispinous, dense, grayish black fur covering upperparts; a dark gray venter; gray ears; a thick, bicolored tail considerably shorter than length of head and body; and large, extremely bulbous footpads".[
Its body size, build and some cranial features were described as similar to the species '' Leopoldamys neilli'' found in Thailand. Other cranial features as well as molar occlusal patterns resemble species of the '' Niviventer'', '']Chiromyscus
Fea's tree rat or Indochinese chiromyscus (''Chiromyscus chiropus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Yunnan (China), eastern Myanmar, northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ...
'', and '' Saxatilomys'' genera native to the Indomalayan region.[
]
Habitat
The genus is petricolous, meaning it lives in a rocky habitat, and was found only in talus composed of large limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
blocks. It is thought that its distribution in the Huu Lien Nature reserve is patchy.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daovantien's limestone rat
Old World rats and mice
Rodent genera
Taxa named by Guy Musser