Common punaré facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Common punaré |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Echimyidae |
| Subfamily: | Echimyinae |
| Tribe: | Myocastorini |
| Genus: | Thrichomys |
| Species: |
T. apereoides
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| Binomial name | |
| Thrichomys apereoides (Lund, 1839)
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| Subspecies | |
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T. a. apereoides |
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| Synonyms | |
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Nelomys apereoides |
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The common punaré (Thrichomys apereoides) is a type of spiny rat that lives only in Brazil. Even though it's called a "spiny rat," it actually has soft, thick fur instead of spines! It's a unique animal found in certain parts of Brazil.
What Does a Punaré Look Like?
Common punarés are special because they don't have spines. Instead, they have a thick coat of soft fur. This fur covers their whole body, even their tail. Their fur is mostly greyish-brown. Their belly and ears are a lighter, whitish color.
They also have three pairs of small white spots on their face. You can see one spot above each eye and one below each eye. There's also a white spot at the base of each ear.
Punaré are about the size of a large rat. They grow to be about 23 to 26 centimeters (9 to 10 inches) long. Their tail adds another 18 to 23 centimeters (7 to 9 inches) to their length. On average, they weigh about 340 grams (12 ounces). Male punarés are usually a little bigger than females. Female punarés have four teats, which are used for feeding their babies.
Where Do Punarés Live?
The common punaré lives only in eastern Brazil. It prefers areas with open caatinga and cerrado plants. These areas are found between the large Amazonian and Atlantic Forests.
You can find them along the coasts of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte. They also live across most of the other states in the Northeast Region. Further south, they are found in much of Minas Gerais. Within these areas, they like dry and rocky places.
Scientists used to think there were many types of punarés. But now, only two main groups, called subspecies, are recognized:
- Thrichomys apereoides apereoides - This group lives in the southern part of the punaré's range.
- Thrichomys apereoides laurenteus - This group lives in the northern part of the punaré's range.
How Do Punarés Live?
Common punarés are most active around dawn, which is when the sun starts to rise. During the rest of the day, they like to rest. They often make nests among rocky boulders. They might also hide in any small cracks or spaces they can find.
These animals have a specific area they call home, which is about 1,800 to 2,000 square meters (about half an acre). They protect their home from other punarés. They might stand tall or kick to show they are serious. They can also wrestle or chase away rivals. Punarés are very good at moving around. They can easily climb through rocky areas and even climb trees.
Punarés are herbivorous, meaning they only eat plants. They are very good at surviving without much water. In a lab, they could go for at least eighteen days without drinking! In the wild, they can get extra water by eating prickly pear cactuses.
They can have babies throughout the year. After about 97 days, a mother punaré usually gives birth to three pups. When they are born, the babies weigh about 21 grams (less than an ounce). They are born with their eyes open and a full coat of fur. They start eating solid food just a few hours after birth. However, they don't stop drinking their mother's milk until they are about 28 days old.
 | James Van Der Zee |
 | Alma Thomas |
 | Ellis Wilson |
 | Margaret Taylor-Burroughs |
