Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat
Overview
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....
in the family 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....
. It is only found in the northern and central part of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It prefers forest and scrub, but also occurs in degraded habitats such as plantations. It occurs from sea level to an altitude of about 2200 metres (7,217.8 ft). In some areas it overlaps with the rarer Giant Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat
Giant Bushy-Tailed Cloud Rat
The Giant Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat or Luzon Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat is a large, endangered species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is only found in pine and mossy forest at altitudes of in the Central Cordillera of Luzon, the Philippines...
, but that species mainly occurs at higher altitudes than the Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat.
The Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat has been extirpated in some regions because of hunting, but overall it appears to be able to withstand hunting pressure and in general it remains common and widespread.
Unanswered Questions
