''Phyllomys'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally (scansorial), but others are exclusively arboreal. The hab ...

spiny rat, geographically restricted to the forests of eastern

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. The etymology of the genus name derives from the two

ancient greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

words (), meaning "plant leaf", and (), meaning "mouse, rat".

Phylogeny

''Phyllomys'' is the sister genus to ''Echimys'', and then to ''Makalata''. These taxa are closely related to the genera ''Pattonomys'' and ''Toromys''. In turn, these five genera share phylogenetic affinities with a clade containing the bamboo rats ''Dactylomys'', ''Olallamys'', ''Kannabateomys'' together with ''Diplomys'' and ''Santamartamys''.

Systematics

There are thirteen named

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

in the genus. These species have frequently been placed in the genus ''

Echimys ''Echimys'' is a genus of the spiny rats family, the Echimyidae. Members of this genus are collectively called spiny tree-rats. The genus name ''Echimys'', and also its synonym ''Echinomys'', derive from the two Ancient Greek words (), meanin ...

''. *''

Phyllomys blainvilii The golden Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys blainvillii'') is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependen ...

'' – golden Atlantic tree-rat *'' Phyllomys brasiliensis'' – orange-brown Atlantic tree-rat *'' Phyllomys dasythrix'' – drab Atlantic tree-rat *'' Phyllomys kerri'' – Kerr's Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys lamarum The pallid Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys lamarum'') is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is a species of spiny rat. It is endemic to Brazil, where it is found from Paraíba to Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is one of the 27 f ...

'' – pallid Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys lundi Lund's Atlantic tree-rat, (''Phyllomys lundi''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by ...

'' – Lund's Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys mantiqueirensis The Mantiqueira Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys mantiqueirensis'') is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and ...

'' – Mantiqueira Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys medius The long-furred Atlantic tree-rat or Thomas's Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys medius''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's ...

'' – long-furred Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys nigrispinus The black-spined Atlantic tree-rat, (''Phyllomys nigrispinus''), is a South American spiny rat species in the family Echimyidae. It is found in southeastern Brazil, where it inhabits moist broadleaf forest and semideciduous forest in the Atl ...

'' – black-spined Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys pattoni The rusty-sided Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys pattoni''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and depend ...

'' – rusty-sided Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys sulinus The southern Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys sulinus'') is a species of spiny rat from South America, described in 2008. It is found in the subtropical region of southern Brazil, from the states of São Paulo to Rio Grande do Sul Rio Grande d ...

'' – Southern Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys thomasi The giant Atlantic tree-rat (''Phyllomys thomasi'') is a spiny rat species from Brazil. It is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or ...

'' – giant Atlantic tree-rat *''

Phyllomys unicolor The short-furred Atlantic tree-rat or Wagner's Atlantic tree rat (''Phyllomys unicolor''), is a spiny rat species found in Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the worl ...

'' – short-furred Atlantic tree-rat

References

Echimyini Taxa named by Peter Wilhelm Lund Rodent genera {{Echimyidae-stub