Black-footed tree-rat

The black-footed tree-rat also known as Djintamoonga[2] (Mesembriomys gouldii) is one of two endemic arboreal rat species from the genus Mesembriomys found in the northern regions of Australia.

Black-footed tree-rat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Mesembriomys
Species:
M. gouldii
Binomial name
Mesembriomys gouldii
(Gray, 1843)[1]
Synonyms

Hapalotis hirsutus Gould, 1842

The species is one of the largest murids found in Australia.[3]

Description

The tree rat has a greyish-brown coat that is shaggy and coarse and has a creamy white underbelly. The hind feet are black with well developed pads and strong sharp claws. They have large ears and a long tail with a brush of white hair at the tip.[3] They grow to a mass of 830 grams (29 oz).[4] The height of the rat is typically 250 to 310 millimetres (9.8 to 12.2 in) with a length of 320 to 420 millimetres (13 to 17 in).[5]

Behaviour

The tree rat is solitary and nocturnal, it is arboreal sheltering in tree hollows and pandanus stands during the day.[4][5]

Feeding

It is a folivore and frugivore and its diet may be supplemented by invertebrates such as termites and molluscs.

Distribution

Mesembriomys gouldii has a range extending from the savannahs of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland westward to the Kimberley region of Western Australia.[5] Habitats such as tropical woodlands or open forest are suitable for the tree rat.[4] It is not commonly found across the area and the population has been reduced between 30 and 50% in the last decade.[5] The estimated population is 30,000.[5]

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References

Footnotes
  1. Woinarski, J. & Burbidge, A.A. (2016). "Mesembriomys gouldii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T13211A22448856. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T13211A22448856.en.
  2. "Mesembriomys gouldii gouldii — Black-footed Tree-rat (Kimberley and mainland Northern Territory), Djintamoonga". Biodiversity - Species Profile and Threats Database. Department of the Environment. 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  3. "Black-footed tree-rats" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. July 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  4. Brydie Hill (2012). "Threatened Species of the Northern Territory - Mesembriomys gouldii" (PDF). Northern Territory Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  5. "Black-footed Tree-rat". Australian Wildlife Conservancy. 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.

Bibliography
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