Tenerife Giant Rat
Encyclopedia
The Tenerife Giant Rat (Canariomys bravoi) is an extinct
species of rat endemic to the island of Tenerife
, the largest of the Canary Islands
, Spain
. Many remains have been found during archeological digs. Most remains are from the Pleistocene
. With the help of radiocarbon dating
, some of the finds have been dated back to the late Pleistocene.
Fossilized remains of this animal have been found practically in every part of the island, but especially in deposits in caves or volcanic pipes of the island, where it often appears together with remains of other species such as the giant lizards (Gallotia goliath
). In particular, its bony remains have been discovered in large amounts in the deposit of Buenavista del Norte
(in the northwest of Tenerife). Their fossils date back to the Pliocene
and Pleistocene epochs, which indicates that it lived before the arrival of human
s to the island.
The giant rat, as with the other primitive species of the islands, went extinct due to the actions of the initial human colonists of the island (the Guanches
) and also because of the introduction of the cat
.
Another giant rat of the Canary Islands was Canariomys tamarani.
. It had a cranium that reached up to seven centimeters in length. Including the tail, the rat was over 114 centimeters, making it the largest of its family (at least in the Canaries), being about the size of a rabbit.
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
species of rat endemic to the island of Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
, the largest of the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Many remains have been found during archeological digs. Most remains are from the Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
. With the help of radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
, some of the finds have been dated back to the late Pleistocene.
Fossilized remains of this animal have been found practically in every part of the island, but especially in deposits in caves or volcanic pipes of the island, where it often appears together with remains of other species such as the giant lizards (Gallotia goliath
Gallotia goliath
Gallotia goliath is an extinct giant lizard species from the island of Tenerife of the Canary Islands, Spain. This reptile lived before the arrival of humans. It was described by the German herpetologist Robert Mertens. It is believed that it grew to at least three feet long...
). In particular, its bony remains have been discovered in large amounts in the deposit of Buenavista del Norte
Buenavista del Norte
Buenavista del Norte is a municipality and town on the north coast of Tenerife. It is located on the TF42 Road about 75 km west of the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife , and 65km from Tenerife North Airport....
(in the northwest of Tenerife). Their fossils date back to the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
and Pleistocene epochs, which indicates that it lived before the arrival of human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s to the island.
The giant rat, as with the other primitive species of the islands, went extinct due to the actions of the initial human colonists of the island (the Guanches
Guanches
Guanches is the name given to the aboriginal Berber inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It is believed that they migrated to the archipelago sometime between 1000 BCE and 100 BCE or perhaps earlier...
) and also because of the introduction of the cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
.
Another giant rat of the Canary Islands was Canariomys tamarani.
Description
This species was a big rat of about 1 kgKilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
. It had a cranium that reached up to seven centimeters in length. Including the tail, the rat was over 114 centimeters, making it the largest of its family (at least in the Canaries), being about the size of a rabbit.
See also
- List of extinct animals
- List of extinct animals of Europe
- Island gigantismIsland gigantismIsland gigantism or insular giantism is a biological phenomenon in which the size of animals isolated on an island increases dramatically in comparison to their mainland relatives....