Petter's tufted-tailed rat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Petter's tufted-tailed rat |
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Eliurus
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petteri
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Petter's tufted-tailed rat (Eliurus petteri) is a type of rodent that lives in the low-lying eastern parts of Madagascar. It was first discovered in 1994. This rat is closely related to a smaller rat called Eliurus grandidieri. Scientists don't know much about its daily life, except that it lives in rainforests. It is active at night (nocturnal) and usually lives alone (solitary). Sadly, its home is being destroyed and broken up into smaller pieces. Because of this, it is listed as "Vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List, meaning it's at risk of becoming endangered.
Petter's tufted-tailed rat is a medium-sized Eliurus species. Its body, from head to tail base, is about 130 to 136 millimeters (about 5 to 5.4 inches) long. Its upper fur is gray-brown, which sharply contrasts with its white belly. Like other Eliurus rats, it has a tail tuft, but it's not very big. Its skull is delicate, and its front teeth (incisors) are not very strong.
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Discovering Petter's Tufted-Tailed Rat
How Scientists Named This Rat
Eliurus petteri was first officially described in 1994. An American zoologist named Michael Carleton was studying the Eliurus group of rats. He found three specimens of this new species. These specimens had been collected many years earlier, in 1929, 1956, and 1963. They all came from the same general area in eastern Madagascar.
The rat's specific name, petteri, was chosen to honor a French biologist named François Petter. He has done a lot of important scientific work on a group of rats called Nesomyinae, which includes Eliurus.
Family Tree of the Tufted-Tailed Rats
In 1998, Michael Carleton and another scientist, Steven M. Goodman, discovered a related species called Eliurus grandidieri. This rat lives in the northern highlands of Madagascar.
Interestingly, studies of their DNA suggest that E. grandidieri might be more closely related to a different rat, Voalavo gymnocaudus, than to other Eliurus species. However, E. petteri has not yet had its DNA studied.
In 2007, Carleton and Goodman found more E. petteri rats in the same general area. They officially recognized the "Eliurus petteri group," which includes E. grandidieri and E. petteri. This group is one of five main groups within the Eliurus genus.
Today, Eliurus petteri is one of twelve species in the Eliurus genus. Eliurus is the most diverse and widespread group of native Malagasy rodents. They belong to the subfamily Nesomyinae.
What Petter's Tufted-Tailed Rat Looks Like
Size and Fur
Petter's tufted-tailed rat is a fairly large rat with a long tail. It looks like a smaller version of Eliurus webbi. It is also larger than its close relative, E. grandidieri.
Its fur is soft and fine. The upper part of its body is gray-brown to gray. Each hair is light gray at the base, then pale buff, and dark brown or black at the tip. It also has some longer, darker hairs called guard hairs, but they are quite short.
A unique feature of this rat is its completely white belly. Most other Eliurus species, even E. grandidieri, have dark gray fur on their undersides. The change from the dark upper fur to the white belly fur is very clear and sharp.
Face and Ears
The whiskers on its upper lip (mystacial vibrissae) are long, about 50 to 60 millimeters (2 to 2.4 inches). They can reach past its ears when pressed back against its head. Some rats even have a dark ring around their eyes.
Its external ears (pinnae) are dark and look bare, but they are covered with fine brown fur on the outside. The inside of the ears has white hairs.
Feet and Tail
Its front feet are entirely white on top. Its hind feet have a narrow dark stripe. The skin of its tail is dark, and sometimes has a few white spots on the underside. Even though the tail looks mostly bare, it is covered with tiny, hard-to-see hairs.
The tail tuft, which is a key feature of Eliurus rats, is not very noticeable on Petter's tufted-tailed rat. It's made of light brown to grayish-brown hairs and covers only the last 25% to 30% of the tail near the tip.
Skull Features
The rat's skull is delicate. The area between its eyes (interorbital region) is narrow and shaped like an hourglass. The part of the skull that holds the brain (braincase) is smooth. These areas do not have strong ridges or shelves. The cheekbones (zygomatic arches) are not very strong either.
The openings in the front part of the roof of its mouth (incisive foramina) are short and narrow. The bony roof of its mouth (palate) ends at the back of its third upper molars.
Its front teeth (incisors) are weak, and the hard outer layer (enamel) on its upper incisors is yellow to light orange. The root of its lower incisor does not stick out into a distinct bump at the back of its lower jaw (mandible). This feature is only shared with E. grandidieri among Eliurus species.
Where Petter's Tufted-Tailed Rat Lives and What It Does
Habitat and Location
Eliurus petteri is only found in a small area in the foothills of eastern Madagascar. This area is in the Toamasina Province. It lives at elevations from about 450 to 1145 meters (about 1,476 to 3,757 feet) above sea level.
It lives in the same areas as other Eliurus species, such as E. minor, E. tanala, and E. webbi. This means they probably live together in the same places.
Daily Life and Diet
Scientists know very little about the daily life of E. petteri. It lives in lowland rainforests. It is likely an arboreal or scansorial animal, meaning it spends its time climbing in trees and other plants.
This rat is nocturnal, which means it is active at night. It is also solitary, preferring to live alone. It probably eats fruits, seeds, and insects. Because its incisors (front teeth) are weak, Michael Carleton believes it might eat harder fruits and insects than other Eliurus species.
Protecting Petter's Tufted-Tailed Rat
Threats to Survival
The biggest dangers to Eliurus petteri are the destruction and breaking up of its habitat. Its rainforest home is being cut down and divided into smaller pieces. This rat is not known to live in any protected areas, which makes it even more vulnerable.
Another possible threat is bubonic plague. This disease can be spread by introduced rodents, which are not native to Madagascar.
Conservation Status
Because of these threats, Eliurus petteri is classified as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List. This means it faces a very high risk of becoming extinct in the wild.
