Chiruromys
Encyclopedia
Chiruromys is a genus of Old World mouse that is restricted to New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...

 and the nearby islands of Goodenough
Goodenough Island
Goodenough Island in the Solomon Sea is the westernmost of the three large islands of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands in Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. It lies to the east of mainland New Guinea and south west of the Trobriand Islands.It should not be confused with Goodenough's Island...

, Fergusson
Fergusson Island
Fergusson Island is the largest island of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, in Papua New Guinea. It has an area of just over 500 square miles , and mostly consists of mountainous regions, covered by rain forests...

, and Normanby
Normanby Island, Papua New Guinea
Normanby Island is a volcanic, 400 square mile , L-shaped island, the southern most island in the D'Entrecasteaux Islands group...

.

Characteristics

These are small arboreal rats with long tails. Head and body is 8.4-17.5 cm, tail is 12.8-24.5 cm, and weight is 23-122 grams (Nowak, 1999). The fur is grey to brown above with a white belly. They are restricted to forests where they spend all of their time in the canopy. They live in groups usually consisting of a breeding pair and their offspring (usually one to three) (Nowak, 1999).

Classification

Musser and Carleton (2005) considered Chiruromys to be a member of the Pogonomys Division within the Murinae
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...

 along with the genera Pogonomys
Pogonomys
Pogonomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.Species include:* Champion's Tree Mouse * D'Entrecasteaux Archipelago Tree Mouse * Large Tree Mouse...

, Hyomys
Hyomys
The White-eared giant rats, genus Hyomys, are a group of Old World rats from New Guinea.-Species:Genus Hyomys - white-eared rats*Western White-eared Giant Rat, Hyomys dammermani Stein, 1933...

, Macruromys
Macruromys
Macruromys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* Lesser Small-toothed Rat * Eastern Small-toothed Rat...

, Mallomys
Mallomys
Mallomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae. The name of the genus derives from the Greek μαλλός, mallós, wool, and μῦς, mȳs, mouse/rat. These very large rats weigh between and are native to highlands in New Guinea...

, Coccymys
Coccymys
Coccymys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* White-toothed Brush Mouse * Coccymys kirrhos * Rümmler's Brush Mouse * Coccymys shawmayeri...

, and Anisomys. It is considered a New Guinea Old Endemic, part of the initial wave of murines colonizing the island.

Species

Genus Chiruromys
  • Greater Tree Mouse
    Greater Tree Mouse
    The Greater Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Papua New Guinea.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....

    , Chiruromys forbesi
  • Lamia
    Lamia (animal)
    The Lamia , also known as the Broad-headed Tree Mouse, is found chiefly in southeastern New Guinea. It is arboreal, living in hollow tree nests, and is found at every elevation from sea-level up....

    , Chiruromys lamia
  • Lesser Tree Mouse
    Lesser Tree Mouse
    The Lesser Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Papua New Guinea.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 19 July 2007....

    , Chiruromys vates
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