''Diplomys'' 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 ...

in the family

Echimyidae Echimyidae is the family of neotropical spiny rats and their fossil relatives. This is the most species-rich family of hystricognath rodents. It is probably also the most ecologically diverse, with members ranging from fully arboreal to terr ...

. They are found in

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

Systematics

The genus contains the following species: * Colombian soft-furred spiny rat (''Diplomys caniceps'') * Rufous soft-furred spiny rat (''Diplomys labilis'')

Phylogeny

''Diplomys'' is a member of the

Echimyini Echimyini is a tribe of echimyid rodents, proposed in 2016, and containing 13 extant genera: all of the tree rats '' Echimys'', ''Phyllomys'', '' Makalata'', '' Pattonomys'', '' Toromys'', '' Diplomys'', '' Santamartamys'', and '' Isothrix'', the ...

clade of

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 ...

Echimyidae rodents. The closest relative of ''Diplomys'' is ''Santamartamys'', reflecting the fact that these taxa have once been classified in the same genus. These two genera constitute the sister group of the "Dactylomyines", a clade of South American bamboo rats. All these taxa are closely related to the genera ''Echimys'', ''Phyllomys'', ''Makalata'', ''Pattonomys'', and ''Toromys''. In turn, these genera share phylogenetic affinities with the clade containing ''Lonchothrix'' and ''Mesomys'', and with ''Isothrix''.

References

Echimyini Rodent genera Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Echimyidae-stub