The cloud rats or cloudrunners are a

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

(Phloeomyini) of arboreal and

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

herbivorous

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the 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 rodents. They are na ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

s of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. They belong to the family

Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 1,383 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. The name Muridae come ...

and include five

genera 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 nomenclat ...

: ''

Batomys ''Batomys'' is a genus of rodent endemic to the Philippines. It has six extant described species. Species Genus ''Batomys'' - Luzon and Mindanao forest rats, 7 species recognized, six extant and one extinct: * Large-toothed hairy-tailed rat, ''B ...

'' (hairy-tailed rats), ''

Carpomys ''Carpomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. It contains two extant species, and one extinct species: * short-footed Luzon tree rat (''Carpomys melanurus'') * white-bellied Luzon tree rat The white-bellied Luzon tree rat (''Carpomy ...

'' (dwarf cloud rats), ''

Crateromys ''Crateromys'' is a genus of rodent, native to the Philippines, in the family Muridae. It contains four species extant species, and one extinct species. * Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat (''Crateromys australis'') * Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat ...

'' (bushy-tailed cloud rats), ''

Musseromys ''Musseromys'' is a genus of rodent, in the family Muridae, endemic to the Philippines. Four species are known, all from Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Ph ...

'' (Luzon tree mice), and ''

Phloeomys ''Phloeomys'', the slender-tailed cloud rats, is a genus of large rodents in the family Muridae. Both species in this genus are endemic to the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Although their tail is covered by hairs, it is considerably less d ...

'' (giant cloud rats). They range in size from as large as to as small as . Cloud rats are threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting. Several species are

endangered 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 and inva ...

or critically endangered.

Description

Cloud rats are characterized by long furry or hairy tails and short hind limbs with grasping feet. They spend most of their time in the canopy of

s, hence the name "cloud rat" or "cloudrunner". They are believed to be entirely herbivorous, primarily eating leaves, buds, bark, fruits, and seeds. Their ecology and behavior are poorly known. Cloud rats belonging to the genera ''Batomys'', ''Crateromys'', and ''Phloeomys'' are typically large, with the largest species being '' Phloeomys pallidus'' (reaching up to in weight) and '' Crateromys schadenbergi'' (reaching up to in weight). They measure from around in length. Members of the genera ''Carpomys'' and ''Batomys'' are smaller, with a maximum weight of and , respectively. The smallest are members of the recently-described genus ''Musseromys'', with a recorded weight of only and body lengths of only .

Conservation

Several species of cloud rats are classified as

or critically endangered by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

. Cloud rats are primarily threatened with

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

and human encroachment due to the extensive

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

of the

. Larger species of cloud rats (''Phloeomys '' and ''Crateromys'' spp.) are also hunted for food, usually by

hunter-gatherer A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...

tribes in the mountains of the Philippines. In some areas, they are the most commonly hunted species, and hundreds of animals are estimated to be killed annually. Hunting or possession of wildlife is illegal in the Philippines, under Republic Act 9147 (the Wildlife Protection and Conservation Law of 2001), but enforcement still remains problematic. Several zoos keep and breed cloud rats in captivity; including the

London Zoo London Zoo, also known as ZSL London Zoo or London Zoological Gardens is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for science, scientific study. In 1831 o ...

Prague Zoo Prague Zoological Garden (Czech: ''Zoologická zahrada hl. m. Prahy'') is a zoo in Prague, Czech Republic. It was opened in 1931 with the goal to "advance the study of zoology, protect wildlife, and educate the public" in the district of Troja in ...

Central Park Zoo The Central Park Zoo is a zoo located at the southeast corner of Central Park in New York City. It is part of an integrated system of four zoos and one aquarium managed by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). In conjunction with the Central ...

Bronx Zoo The Bronx Zoo (also historically the Bronx Zoological Park and the Bronx Zoological Gardens) is a zoo within Bronx Park in the Bronx, New York. It is one of the largest zoos in the United States by area and is the largest metropolitan zoo in ...

Wingham Wildlife Park Wingham Wildlife Park is a medium-sized wildlife park situated near Wingham in Kent, UK where it covers an area of 26 acres (13 acres of animal housing area and a further 13 acres of car parking and overflow). In 2011 the species count at the pa ...

Chester Zoo Chester Zoo is a zoo at Upton-by-Chester, Cheshire, England. Chester Zoo was opened in 1931 by George Mottershead and his family. It is one of the UK's largest zoos at . The zoo has a total land holding of approximately . Chester Zoo is operate ...

, and the

Jerusalem Biblical Zoo The Tisch Family Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem ( he, גן החיות התנ"כי בירושלים על שם משפחת טיש, ar, حديقة الحيوان الكتابية في أورشليم القدس '), popularly known as the Jerusalem Bibl ...

Taxonomy

The cloud rat

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

(the "''Phloeomys'' division", '' sensu'' Musser & Carleton, 2005), now treated as the

Phloeomyini (LeCompte et al., 2008), includes the closely-related genera ''

'' (hairy-taled rats), ''

'' (dwarf cloud rats), ''

'' (bushy-tailed cloud rats), ''

'' (Luzon tree mice), and ''

'' (giant cloud rats). They belong to the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Murinae of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

(rats and mice). Batomys hamiguitan

Note: Extinct species known only from

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s are marked with * Tribe Phloeomyini **''

'' - Hairy-tailed rats ***''

Batomys dentatus The large-toothed hairy-tailed rat (''Batomys dentatus'') is one of five species of rodent in the genus Batomys. It is in the diverse family Muridae. This species is found only in Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry ...

'' - Large-toothed hairy-tailed rat ***''

Batomys granti The Luzon forest rat or Luzon hairy-tailed rat (''Batomys granti'') is one of five species of rodent in the genus Batomys. It is in the diverse family Muridae. This species is found only in the Philippines. This species was the first of the fiv ...

'' - Luzon hairy-tailed rat ***''

Batomys hamiguitan The Hamiguitan hairy-tailed rat (''Batomys hamiguitan'') is one of five species of rodent in the genus Batomys. It is in the diverse family Muridae. This species is found only in the Philippines. is a yellow-brown animal with a long furry tail, ...

'' - Hamiguitan hairy-tailed rat ***''

Batomys russatus Dinagat hairy-tailed rat or russet batomys (''Batomys russatus'') is one of five species of rodent in the genus '' Batomys''. It is in the diverse family Muridae. This species is endemic to the Philippines. Distribution This rat is found on Din ...

'' - Dinagat hairy-tailed rat ***''

Batomys salomonseni The Mindanao hairy-tailed rat (''Batomys salomonseni'') is one of five species of rodent in the genus '' Batomys''. It is in the diverse family Muridae. This species is found only in the Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, ...

'' - Mindanao hairy-tailed rat ***''

Batomys uragon ''Batomys'' is a genus of rodent endemic to the Philippines. It has six extant described species. Species Genus ''Batomys'' - Luzon and Mindanao forest rats, 7 species recognized, six extant and one extinct: * Large-toothed hairy-tailed rat, ''B ...

'' ***''

Batomys cagayanensis ''Batomys'' is a genus of rodent endemic to the Philippines. It has six extant described species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species i ...

**''

'' - Dwarf cloud rats ***''

Carpomys melanurus The short-footed Luzon tree rat or greater dwarf cloud rat (''Carpomys melanurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in the Philippines, specifically in northern Luzon. Its natural habitat is tropical moist montane f ...

'' - Dwarf cloud rat, short-footed Luzon tree rat ***''

Carpomys phaeurus The white-bellied Luzon tree rat (''Carpomys phaeurus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found only in Philippines. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forest A forest is an area of land dominated by tre ...

'' - White-bellied Luzon tree rat ***''

Carpomys dakal ''Carpomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. It contains two extant species, and one extinct species: * short-footed Luzon tree rat (''Carpomys melanurus'') * white-bellied Luzon tree rat (''Carpomys phaeurus'') *'' Carpomys dakal'' ...

**''

'' - Bushy-tailed cloud rats ***''

Crateromys australis The Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat, Dinagat crateromys or Dinagat cloud rat (''Crateromys australis'') is a species of cloud rat in the family Muridae. It is one of the eight cloud rats found only in the Philippines, and is specifically endemic t ...

'' - Dinagat Island cloud rat, rediscovered in 2012 ***'' Crateromys schadenbergi'' - Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat ***''

Crateromys paulus The Ilin Island cloudrunner (''Crateromys paulus'') is a critically endangered cloud rat from Ilin Island in the Philippines. It is called ''siyang'' by the Taubuwid Mangyan. It is a fluffy-coated, bushy-tailed rat and may have emerged from tree ...

'' - Ilin Island cloud rat, collected in 1981 through a dead specimen ***''

Crateromys heaneyi The Panay cloudrunner (''Crateromys heaneyi'') is the second-largest cloud rat, a squirrel-like rodent that is found on the island of Panay in the Philippines. It is the most endangered rodent species in Panay, and one of the only few known cloud ...

'' - Panay bushy-tailed cloud rat ***''

Crateromys ballik ''Crateromys'' is a genus of rodent, native to the Philippines, in the family Muridae. It contains four species extant species, and one extinct species. * Dinagat bushy-tailed cloud rat (''Crateromys australis'') * Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat ...

'' **''

'' - Luzon tree mice ***''

Musseromys anacuao The Sierra Madre tree-mouse (''Musseromys anacuao'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found in the forest of the northern Sierra Madre in Luzon, Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the ...

'' ***''

Musseromys beneficus The Mount Pulag tree-mouse (''Musseromys beneficus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found on Mount Pulag in Luzon, Philippines. Description As for all members of the genus ''Musseromys'', they are small murids weighing b ...

'' ***''

Musseromys gulantang Banahaw tree mouse (''Musseromys gulantang'') is a species of rodent in the family of Muridae. It is named after Mount Banahaw in Luzon, Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ...

'' - Banahaw tree mouse ***''

Musseromys inopinatus The Amuyao tree-mouse (''Musseromys inopinatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is found on Mount Amuyao in Luzon, Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( ...

'' **''

'' - Giant cloud rats ***'' Phloeomys pallidus'' - Northern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rat ***''

Phloeomys cumingi The southern giant slender-tailed cloud rat or southern Luzon giant cloud rat (''Phloeomys cumingi''), also known as ''bugkon'' in Filipino, is a vulnerable species of rodent in the family Muridae, found only in southern Luzon in the Philippin ...

'' - Southern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rat

References

{{Reflist, 40em Rats of Asia Endemic fauna of the Philippines Rodents of the Philippines Mammal tribes Taxa named by Edward Richard Alston

Description

Conservation

Taxonomy

See also

References