Muennink's spiny rat
Template:Short description Template:Speciesbox Muennink's spiny rat or Okinawa spiny rat (Tokudaia muenninki, Template:Langx or Script error: No such module "Lang".) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.[1] Endemic to Okinawa Island, Japan, its natural habitat is subtropical moist broadleaf forest. The karyotype has 2n = 44.[1] Its sex chromosomes are abnormally large, while the other two species in Tokudaia have lost their Y chromosome.[2] It is found only on the northern part (Yanbaru area) of the island, above 300 m,[3] and is thought to inhabit an area of less than 3 km2.[4]
The head and body are up to 7 inches long with a 5-inch tail. They weigh up to 7 ounces. They have a short thick body and dense fur, consisting of fine hairs and coarse, grooved spines (hence the common name “spiny rat”). The fur is brownish above and grayish white below with a faint orange tinge. The spines on the animal's back are black throughout while the spines underneath are usually white with a reddish-brown tip. The spines cover the body except for the regions around the mouth, ears, feet and tail. The tail is bi-colored for its entire length.[5]
The species is threatened by deforestation, predation by feral cats and introduced mongooses, and competition with introduced black rats.[3] In March 2008, the first wild specimen in over 30 years was caught in the northern part of Okinawa.[6]
References
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