Gran Canaria giant rat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gran Canaria giant rat Temporal range: Holocene
Fossils in Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Scientific classification
Genus:	Canariomys
Species:	tamarani

The Gran Canaria giant rat (Canariomys tamarani) was a very large type of rat that used to live only on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, Spain. Sadly, this amazing rodent is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists anywhere in the world.

About the Gran Canaria Giant Rat

Scientists have found fossil remains of the Gran Canaria giant rat from the Holocene period. These fossils were discovered in many places across Gran Canaria. The most recent fossils found date back to just before the start of the Common Era.

This giant rat was once listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as extinct. However, it was later removed from this list. This happened because experts decided it had become extinct before the year 1500 AD.

What it Looked Like

The Gran Canaria giant rat was quite big! Its head and body together measured about 287 millimeters (about 11 inches). Its tail was around 200 millimeters (about 8 inches) long. These rats weighed between 750 grams (about 1.6 pounds) and 1200 grams (about 2.6 pounds). That's much larger than the rats we see today!

How it Lived

This giant rat was a herbivore, meaning it ate only plants. It lived on the ground, but it was also good at digging. It could even climb trees! This suggests it was very adaptable to its environment.

Why it Disappeared

Another giant rat, the Tenerife giant rat (Canariomys bravoi), lived on a nearby island. Both of these large rat species faced a similar sad fate. Scientists believe that when humans arrived on the islands, they brought animals like feral dogs with them. These new animals likely hunted the giant rats, leading to their extinction.

See also

In Spanish: Rata gigante de Gran Canaria para niños

• List of extinct animals
• List of extinct animals of Europe