Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat explained

The Ryukyu long-tailed giant rat or Ryukyu rat (Diplothrix legata) is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is the only extant species in the genus Diplothrix. It is found only in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.

Conservation

The species is threatened by habitat loss, predation by feral cats (with studies finding that the rat contributed 23% of feral cat's diet on Amami-Oshima),[1] and introduced nematode and helminth parasites.[2] [3]

Notes and References

  1. Shionosaki. K.. Yamada. F.. Ishikawa. T.. Shibata. S.. 2015. Feral cat diet and predation on endangered endemic mammals on a biodiversity hot spot (Amami–Ohshima Island, Japan). Wildlife Research. 42. 4. 10.1071/WR14161.
  2. Okano. T.. Haga. A.. Mizuno. E.. Onuma. M.. Nakaya. Y.. Nagamine. T.. 2014. Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae) in the Ryukyu Islands Tree Rat (Diplothrix legata). Journal of Wildlife Diseases. 50. 2. 322–325. 10.7589/2013-03-050. free.
  3. Tokiwa. T.. Yoshimura. H.. Ito. K.. Chou. S.. Yamamoto. M.. 2020. Alien parasitic infections in the endangered Ryukyu long-furred rat (Diplothrix legata) on Amami-Oshima Island, Japan. Parasitology International. 76. 102058. 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102058.

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