Emma’s Giant Rat (Uromys emmae)
Emma’s Giant Rat was described in 1994, based on a single female specimen that had been cought in 1964, it apparently was endemic to the very small island of Owi, near Biak in the New Guinean part of Indonesia.
The species is believed to have mainly been arboreal, nothing else is known about its biology.
Emma’s Giant Rat is now very likely extinct.
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edited: 06.05.2019
Tag Archives: Uromys
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
Uromys boeadii Groves & Flannery
Biak Giant Rat (Uromys boeadii)
The Biak Giant Rat was described in 1994, the species is known from a single male specimen that had been collected in 1963 on the island of Biak in the New Guinean part of Indonesia.
The species reached a total length of nearly 50 cm, including the tail.
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The Biak Giant Rat is officially listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ but given the amount of deforestation on its island home it most likely is already extinct.
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edited: 06.05.2019
Uromys porculus Thomas
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
Uromys imperator (Thomas)
Emperor Rat (Uromys imperator)
The Emperor Rat, described in 1888, was endemic to the island of Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, the species is known from only three specimens that all were taken between 1886 and 1888.
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The Emperor Rat was very large, reaching a total length of about 60 cm, including the tail. It is believed that this species inhabited the rainforests, probably being a ground-dweller and feeding on fruits and other plant material.
The species may have survived until the 1960s, since the native people at that time still knew of a large, ground-dwelling rat living in the forests. The main reason for its extinction very likely lies in the predation by introduced feral cats.
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edited: 06.05.2019