''Nesomys'', also called red forest rats, 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
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
Nesomyidae
The Nesomyidae are a family (biology), family of African rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which are native to either continental Africa or to Madagascar. Included in this family are N ...
.
It is found only on
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
, and contains the following species:
*
White-bellied nesomys (''Nesomys audeberti'')
*
Western nesomys (''Nesomys lambertoni'')
* ''
Nesomys narindaensis'' †
*
Island mouse (''Nesomys rufus'')
References
Endemic fauna of Madagascar
Mammals of Madagascar
Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters
Rodent genera
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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