Guadalcanal Giant Rat (Uromys porculus)  

The Guadalcanal Giant Rat, described in 1904, was endemic to the island of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, it is known from a single male specimen that had been cought sometimes between 1886 and 1888.  

The species shared its habitat with another species of the same genus, the Emperor Rat (Uromys imperator (Thomas)), in contrast to that species, the Guadalcanal Giant Rat was not a giant at all, it reached a total length of only 35 cm, being half he size of its larger congener.  

The Guadalcanal Giant Rat is now most likely extinct, the main reason for this are the same as in its congeneric ‘cousin’ – predation by introduced feral cats.  

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edited: 06.05.2019