''Apomys'', commonly known as earthworm mice, 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 ...

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

endemic to the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. Mice belonging to this genus are generally called Philippine forest mice and can be found on most islands of the

except in Palawan, the Sulu Archipelago, and the Batanes and Babuyan group of islands. ''Apomys'' mice weigh from 18g to 128g. The tail is longer or nearly equal the length of the head and body. The soft and thick fur of these mice is darker on the back while the front fur is paler, often nearly white with a moderate orange yellow wash. The hind feet are moderately long and narrow, have six plantar pads, and have digits 2–4 notably longer than digit 5 and the hallux. All species have two pairs of inguinal mammae.

Species

Nineteen species are known in two subgenera: *Subgenus ''Apomys'' - smaller, arboreal species ** Camiguin forest mouse, ''A. camiguinensis'' Heaney & Tabaranza, 2006 ** Mount Apo forest mouse, ''A. hylocoetes'' Mearns, 1905 ** Mindanao montane forest mouse, ''A. insignis'' Mearns, 1905 ** Mindanao lowland forest mouse, ''A. littoralis'' Sanborn, 1952 ** Small Luzon forest mouse, ''A. microdon'' Hollister, 1913 ** Least forest mouse, ''A. musculus'' Miller, 1911 *Subgenus ''Megapomys'' - larger, ground-living species ** Luzon Cordillera forest mouse, ''A. abrae'' Sanborn, 1952 ** Luzon Aurora forest mouse, ''A. aurorae'' Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 ** Mount Banahaw forest mouse, ''A. banahao'' Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 ** Mount Tapulao forest mouse, ''A. brownorum'' Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 ** Luzon montane forest mouse, ''A. datae'' Meyer, 1899 ** Large Mindoro forest mouse, ''A. gracilirostris'' Ruedas, 1995 ** Mount Irid forest mouse, '' A. iridensis'' Heaney, Balete, Veluz, Steppan, Esseltyn, Pfeiffer & Rickart, 2014 ** Lubang forest mouse, '' A. lubangensis'' Heaney, Balete, Veluz, Steppan, Esseltyn, Pfeiffer & Rickart, 2014 ** Luzon giant forest mouse, ''A. magnus'' Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 ** Mount Mingan forest mouse, ''A. minganensis'' Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 ** Long-nosed Luzon forest mouse, ''A. sacobianus'' Johnson, 1962 ** Sierra Madre forest mouse, ''A. sierrae'' Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 ** Luzon Zambales forest mouse, ''A. zambalensis'' Heaney, Balete, Alviola, Duya, Veluz, VandeVrede & Steppan, 2011 Several species also awaits formal description. The species generally inhabit narrow ecological niches with small endemic ranges.

References

{{Authority control Rodents of the Philippines Rodent genera Taxa named by Edgar Alexander Mearns

Species

See also

References