''Makalata'' is a genus 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 lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...

s 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 ter ...

Systematics

The

etymology Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words ...

of this genus name derives from a combination of letters inspired by the

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

native name ''Maka-alata'' for spiny rats. This genus contains the following species: * Brazilian spiny tree-rat (''

Makalata didelphoides The Brazilian spiny tree rat (''Makalata didelphoides'') is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and Trinidad and Tobago where it lives in lowland tropical rain ...

'') * Long-tailed armored tree-rat (''

Makalata macrura The long-tailed armored tree-rat (''Makalata macrura''), is a spiny rat species from South America. It is found in Brazil, with a population in Ecuador which is referable either to this species or to ''Makalata didelphoides''. Initially consider ...

'') * Dusky spiny tree-rat (''

Makalata obscura The dusky spiny tree rat (''Makalata obscura'') is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is endemic to Brazil. The etymology of the species name corresponds to the Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the ...

'') * Peruvian tree-rat (''

Makalata rhipidura The Peruvian tree rat (''Makalata rhipidura'') is a species of rodent in the family Echimyidae. It is found in northeastern Peru and adjacent Ecuador, where it is found in the Amazon rainforest. It is nocturnal and arboreal. The etymology of th ...

'')

Phylogeny

''Makalata'' is the sister genus to ''Echimys'' and ''Phyllomys''. These taxa are closely related to the genera ''Pattonomys'' and ''Toromys'', reflecting the fact '' Pattonomys occasius'' and '' Toromys grandis'' have been placed in ''Makalata'' by some authorities. In turn, these five genera share phylogenetic affinities with a clade containing the bamboo rats ''Dactylomys'', ''Olallamys'', ''Kannabateomys'' together with ''Diplomys'' and ''Santamartamys''.

References

Rodent genera Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Echimyidae-stub