''Uromys'' 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 ...
s found in
Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from New Guinea in the west to the Fiji Islands in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Vanu ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. They are known as the giant naked-tailed rats. There are eleven species in the genus, with the most recent described in 2017.
Species
*
Giant naked-tailed rat, ''Uromys anak''
Thomas, 1907
*
Biak giant rat, ''Uromys boeadii''
Groves & Flannery, 1994
*
Giant white-tailed rat
The giant white-tailed rat (''Uromys caudimaculatus'') is an Australian rodent native to tropical rainforest of north Queensland, with subspecies occurring in New Guinea and the Aru Islands. It is one of the largest rodents in Australia, reaching ...
, ''Uromys caudimaculatus''
Krefft, 1867
*
Emma's giant rat, ''Uromys emmae''
Groves & Flannery, 1994
*
Masked white-tailed rat, ''Uromys hadrourus''
Winter, 1983
*
Emperor rat, ''Uromys imperator''
Thomas, 1888
*
Bismarck giant rat, ''Uromys neobritannicus''
Tate & Archbold, 1935
*
Guadalcanal rat
The Guadalcanal rat (''Uromys porculus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It was found only in the Solomon Islands. Since this species was collected between 1886 and 1888 it has not been seen again. It is possibly extinct.
Descri ...
, ''Uromys porculus''
Thomas, 1904
*
King rat, ''Uromys rex''
Thomas, 1888
*
Great Key Island giant rat, ''Uromys siebersi''
Thomas, 1923
*
Vangunu giant rat
The Vangunu giant rat (''Uromys vika''), locally known as the vika, is a giant arboreal species of rodent in the family Muridae. The rat was discovered in the island of Vangunu in the Solomon Islands in 2015, after years of searching based on loc ...
, ''Uromys vika''
Lavery & Judge, 2017[Lavery, T. H.; Judge, H.; A new species of giant rat (Muridae, ''Uromys'') from Vangunu, Solomon Islands, ''Journal of Mammalogy'', gyx116, https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyx116]
References
Rodent genera
Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters
Extant Pleistocene first appearances
{{Murinae-stub