Archboldomys
Encyclopedia
Archboldomys, the shrew-mice, are a genus
of rodent
s in the family
Muridae
. They are carnivore
s that feed on invertebrate
s much like shrew
s do. A apparently smaller relatives of the true shrew-rats Chrotomys
and Rhynchomys, Archboldomys are somewhat convergent
to the more distantly related Crunomys
.
The species
are:
A. kalinga was only discovered on March 30, 2000, and described in 2006.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Muridae
Muridae
Muridae is the largest family of mammals. It contains over 600 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. They have been introduced worldwide. The group includes true mice and rats, gerbils, and relatives....
. They are carnivore
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
s that feed on invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s much like shrew
Shrew
A shrew or shrew mouse is a small molelike mammal classified in the order Soricomorpha. True shrews are also not to be confused with West Indies shrews, treeshrews, otter shrews, or elephant shrews, which belong to different families or orders.Although its external appearance is generally that of...
s do. A apparently smaller relatives of the true shrew-rats Chrotomys
Chrotomys
The genus Chrotomys contain a unique group of rodents found only in the Philippines, specifically the islands of Luzon, Mindoro, and Sibuyan. Instead of being predominantly herbivorous or omnivorous like other murines, these rats feed predominantly on invertebrates although they do eat some...
and Rhynchomys, Archboldomys are somewhat convergent
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
to the more distantly related Crunomys
Crunomys
Crunomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* Celebes Shrew Rat * Northern Luzon Shrew Rat * Mindanao Shrew Rat...
.
The species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are:
- Mt Isarog Shrew-mouse, Archboldomys luzonensis
- Sierra Madre Shrew MouseSierra Madre Shrew MouseArchboldomys musseri is a species of mammal from the Philippines....
, Archboldomys musseri - Cordillera Shrew-mouse, Archboldomys kalinga
A. kalinga was only discovered on March 30, 2000, and described in 2006.