Chiruromys is a genus of Old World mouse that is restricted to New Guinea

New Guinea

New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

 and the nearby islands of Goodenough

Goodenough Island

Goodenough Island in the Solomon Sea is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and south west of the Trobriand Islands.It should not be confused with Goodenough's Island...

, Fergusson

Fergusson Island

Fergusson Island is the largest island of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, in Papua New Guinea. It has an area of just over 500 square miles , and mostly consists of mountainous regions, covered by rain forests...

, and Normanby

Normanby Island, Papua New Guinea

Normanby Island is a volcanic, 400 square mile , L-shaped island, the southern most island in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands group...

.

Characteristics

These are small arboreal rats with long tails. Head and body is 8.4-17.5 cm, tail is 12.8-24.5 cm, and weight is 23-122 grams (Nowak, 1999). The fur is grey to brown above with a white belly. They are restricted to forests where they spend all of their time in the canopy. They live in groups usually consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring (usually one to three) (Nowak, 1999).

Classification

Musser and Carleton (2005) considered Chiruromys to be a member of the Pogonomys Division within the Murinae

Murinae

The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...

 along with the genera Pogonomys

Pogonomys

Pogonomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.Species include:* Champion's Tree Mouse * D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago Tree Mouse * Large Tree Mouse...

, Hyomys

Hyomys

The White-eared giant rats, genus Hyomys, are a group of Old World rats from New Guinea.-Species:Genus Hyomys - white-eared rats*Western White-eared Giant Rat, Hyomys dammermani Stein, 1933...

, Macruromys

Macruromys

Macruromys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* Lesser Small-toothed Rat * Eastern Small-toothed Rat...

, Mallomys

Mallomys

Mallomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. The name of the genus derives from the Greek μαλλός, mallós, wool, and μῦς, mȳs, mouse/rat. These very large rats weigh between and are native to highlands in New Guinea...

, Coccymys

Coccymys

Coccymys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* White-toothed Brush Mouse * Coccymys kirrhos * Rümmler's Brush Mouse * Coccymys shawmayeri...

, and Anisomys. It is considered a New Guinea Old Endemic, part of the initial wave of murines colonizing the island.

Species

Genus Chiruromys

• Greater Tree Mouse
  Greater Tree Mouse
  The Greater Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Papua New Guinea.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
  
  , Chiruromys forbesi
• Lamia
  Lamia (animal)
  The Lamia , also known as the Broad-headed Tree Mouse, is found chiefly in southeastern New Guinea. It is arboreal, living in hollow tree nests, and is found at every elevation from sea-level up....
  
  , Chiruromys lamia
• Lesser Tree Mouse
  Lesser Tree Mouse
  The Lesser Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Papua New Guinea.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....
  
  , Chiruromys vates