Cloud rat
Encyclopedia
The cloud rats are a group of arboreal and folivorous
nocturnal rodent
s native to the forests of the Philippines
. There are six known species of cloud rat. These animals have not been studied extensively. The Filipino Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau has begun breeding Northern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rats in captivity. London Zoo
, Prague Zoo
and the Bronx Zoo
are the only locations outside of the Philippines where cloud rats are bred in captivity. Some species of cloud rats are kept in the mini-zoo of the College of Agriculture and Forestry of the West Visayas State University
in their Lambunao campus in the province of Iloilo. Cloud rats are slow-moving herbivore
s and are thought to be preyed upon by large birds. The rats are quite large, and they have been hunted by people in the Philippines for their meat, driving the rodents to near extinction.
Folivore
In zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less energy than other types of foods, and often toxic compounds. For this reason folivorous animals tend to have long digestive tracts and slow metabolisms....
nocturnal rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s native to the forests of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. There are six known species of cloud rat. These animals have not been studied extensively. The Filipino Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau has begun breeding Northern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rats in captivity. London Zoo
London Zoo
London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. It was eventually opened to the public in 1847...
, Prague Zoo
Prague Zoo
Prague Zoo is a zoo in Prague, Czech Republic. It was opened in 1931 with the goal to "advance the study of zoology, protect wildlife, and educate the public" in the district of Troja in the north of Prague. The zoo occupies 45 hectares and houses about 4,400 animals that represent 670 species...
and the Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is located in the Bronx borough of New York City, within Bronx Park. It is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, comprising of park lands and naturalistic habitats, through which the Bronx River flows....
are the only locations outside of the Philippines where cloud rats are bred in captivity. Some species of cloud rats are kept in the mini-zoo of the College of Agriculture and Forestry of the West Visayas State University
West Visayas State University
West Visayas State University ,WVSU, is a state university in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines with its main campus in La Paz, Iloilo City. It is one of the twenty accredited Philippine Universities of the University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific...
in their Lambunao campus in the province of Iloilo. Cloud rats are slow-moving herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
s and are thought to be preyed upon by large birds. The rats are quite large, and they have been hunted by people in the Philippines for their meat, driving the rodents to near extinction.
Species
- Giant cloud rats – genus PhloeomysPhloeomysPhloeomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* Southern Giant Slender-Tailed Cloud Rat * Northern Luzon Giant Cloud Rat...
- Phloeomys pallidus (Northern Luzon Slender-tailed Cloud Rat)
- Phloeomys cumingi (Southern Luzon Slender-tailed Cloud Rat)
- Bushy-tailed cloud rats – genus CrateromysCrateromysCrateromys is a genus of rodent, native to the Philippines, in the family Muridae.It contains four species:* Dinagat Bushy-Tailed Cloud Rat * Giant Bushy-Tailed Cloud Rat...
- Crateromys schadenbergi (Giant Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat)
- Crateromys paulus (Ilin Island Cloud Rat) -extinct
- Crateromys australis (Dinagat Island Cloud Rat)
- Crateromys heaneyi (Panay bushy-tailed cloud rat)
- Dwarf cloud rat – genus CarpomysCarpomysCarpomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* Short-footed Luzon Tree Rat * White-bellied Luzon Tree Rat...
- Carpomys melanurus (Dwarf Cloud Rat)