Uromys siebersi Thomas

Great Kai Island Giant Rat (Uromys siebersi)

The Great Kai Island Giant Rat was described in 1923, it is known from three specimens that had been collected on the island of Kai Besar in the New Guinean part of Indonesia.

The species reached a total length of about 36 cm including the relatively short tail.

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The Great Kai Island Giant Rat is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the White-tailed Giant Rat (Uromys caudimaculatus (Krefft)) or is considered synonymous to the Aru White-tailed Giant Rat (Uromys caudimaculatus ssp. aruensis (Laurie & Hill)).

The species, if accepted, is probably extinct.

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edited: 06.05.2019