''Maxomys'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of rodents, widespread in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

. They are mid-sized rodents, similar to

rat Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' ( pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

s, that live on the ground of

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equatori ...

s. There they build nests, padded with fallen leaves from trees. They feed on roots, fallen fruit, and other plants, as well as insects. All species are shy and avoid food from humans. The genus ''Maxomys'' was originally considered a

subgenus In biology, a subgenus (plural: subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed betw ...

of ''Rattus'', the rat genus. When it became established as its own genus in the 1960s, ''Maxomys'' was often combined with the genera '' Niviventer'' and ''

Leopoldamys ''Leopoldamys'' is a genus of rodents in the family Muridae endemic to Southeast Asia. It contains the following species: * Sundaic mountain long-tailed giant rat (''Leopoldamys ciliatus'') * '' Leopoldamys diwangkarai'' * Edwards's long-tailed ...

''. In the currently accepted taxonomy, Musser, Marshall, and Boeadi established ''Maxomys'' in 1979.

List of species

Genus ''Maxomys'' - rajah rats: *

Mountain spiny rat The mountain spiny rat (''Maxomys alticola'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and ...

, ''Maxomys alticola'' Thomas, 1888, Borneo * Small spiny rat, ''Maxomys baeodon'' Thomas, 1894, Borneo *

Bartels's spiny rat Bartels's spiny rat (''Maxomys bartelsii'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pa ...

, ''Maxomys bartelsii'' Jentink, 1910, Java * Dollman's spiny rat, ''Maxomys dollmani'' Ellerman, 1941, Sulawesi * Hellwald's spiny rat, ''Maxomys hellwaldii''

Jentink Fredericus Anna Jentink (20 August 1844, Wymbritseradeel – 4 November 1913, Leiden)Fredericus Anna Jentink (1844 - 1913). In: Notes from the Leyden Museum Vol. 36, 1913. p 254 was a Dutch zoologist. Biography In 1875, he became curator at the ...

, 1878, Sulawesi *

Sumatran spiny rat The Sumatran spiny rat (''Maxomys hylomyoides'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian a ...

, ''Maxomys hylomyoides'' Robinson and Kloss, 1916, Sumatra * Malayan mountain spiny rat, ''Maxomys inas'' Bonhote, 1906, Malayan Peninsula *

Fat-nosed spiny rat The fat-nosed spiny rat (''Maxomys inflatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and ...

, ''Maxomys inflatus'' Robinson and Kloss, 1916, Sumatra *

Mo's spiny rat Mo's spiny rat (''Maxomys moi'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄ� ...

, ''Maxomys moi'' Robinson and Kloss, 1922, Vietnam, Laos * Musschenbroek's spiny rat, ''Maxomys musschenbroekii'' Jentink, 1878, Sulawesi *

Chestnut-bellied spiny rat The chestnut-bellied spiny rat (''Maxomys ochraceiventer'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species ...

, ''Maxomys ochraceiventer'' Thomas, 1894, Borneo *

Pagai spiny rat The Pagai spiny rat (''Maxomys pagensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Mentawai Islands of Indonesia, on South Pagai, North Pagai, Sipora, and Siberut Siberut is the largest and northernmost of the Ment ...

, ''Maxomys pagensis'' Miller, 1903, Mentawai Islands *

Palawan spiny rat The Palawan spiny rat (''Maxomys panglima'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng ...

, ''Maxomys panglima'' Robinson, 1921, Palawan and neighboring islands * Rajah spiny rat, ''Maxomys rajah'' Thomas, 1894, Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo * Red spiny rat, ''Maxomys surifer'' Miller, 1900, Sumatra, Java, Borneo *'' Maxomys tajuddinii'' Achmadi, Maryanto & Maharadatunkamsi, 2012, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo *

Watts's spiny rat Watts's spiny rat (''Maxomys wattsi'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and ...

, ''Maxomys wattsi'' Musser, 1991, Sulawesi * Whitehead's spiny rat, ''Maxomys whiteheadi'' Thomas, 1894, Malayan Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo

List of species

References

Further reading