The limestone rat (''Niviventer hinpoon'') is a species of

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 Muridae found only in the

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

s of Saraburi, Lopburi, Nakhon Sawan provinces, central

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. It is listed as an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

due to its highly fragmented limestone karst habitat that is currently threatened by mining.

References

* Baillie, J. 1996.
''Niviventer hinpoon''

2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Downloaded on 19 July 2007. * Niviventer Endemic fauna of Thailand Rodents of Thailand Mammals described in 1976 Near threatened biota of Asia Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Limestone {{Niviventer-stub