''Echimys'' 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 ...

of the spiny rats family, the

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 ...

. Members of this genus are collectively called

spiny tree-rat Spiny tree-rats are all found in the rodent family Echimyidae. They are found in the following genera: * ''Echimys'' * '' Lonchothrix'' * ''Mesomys'' * ''Makalata ''Makalata'' is a genus of rodents in the family Echimyidae. Systematics The etym ...

s. The genus name ''Echimys'', and also its

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means precisely or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are a ...

''Echinomys'', derive 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 "hedgehog", and (), meaning "mouse, rat".

Classification

The genus contains three extant species *

White-faced spiny tree-rat The white-faced spiny tree-rat (''Echimys chrysurus'') is a spiny rat species from South America. It is found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname. The etymology of the species name derives from the two ancient greek Ancient G ...

- ''Echimys chrysurus'' *

Dark spiny tree-rat The dark spiny tree-rat (''Echimys saturnus'') is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is a rarely encountered and nocturnal species, found in eastern Ecuador and central Peru. Compared to ''Echimys chrysurus'', the main diagnostic ...

- ''Echimys saturnus'' * Vieira's spiny tree-rat - ''Echimys vieirai'' Members of the genera ''

Callistomys The painted tree-rat (''Callistomys pictus'') is a species of spiny rat from Brazil, restricted to north-eastern Bahia in eastern Brazil. It is the only species in the genus ''Callistomys''. Identification With a total length of ca. , it is a ...

'', ''

Makalata ''Makalata'' is a genus of rodents in the family Echimyidae. Systematics The etymology of this genus name derives from a combination of letters inspired by the Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northe ...

'', ''

Pattonomys ''Pattonomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Echimyidae, named after American mammalogist James L. Patton. It contains the following species: * Bare-tailed armored tree-rat (''Pattonomys occasius'') * Speckled spiny tree-rat (''Pattonomys se ...

'', and ''

Phyllomys ''Phyllomys'' is a genus of arboreal Echimyidae, spiny rat, geographically restricted to the forests of eastern Brazil. The etymology of the genus name derives from the two ancient greek words (), meaning "plant leaf", and (), meaning "mouse, ...

'' were all formerly considered part of the genus ''Echimys''.

Phylogeny

''Echimys'' is the sister genus to ''Phyllomys'', 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''.

References

Echimyini Rodent genera Taxa named by Frédéric Cuvier {{Echimyidae-stub