Mindanao mountain rat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mindanao mountain rat |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Limnomys |
| Species: |
L. sibuanus
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| Binomial name | |
| Limnomys sibuanus Mearns, 1905
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The Mindanao mountain rat (also known as the long-tailed moss mouse) is a small rodent that lives only in the Philippines. You can find it high up in the mountains of Mindanao island, especially in the Kitanglad Mountain Range. It's a special kind of rat that loves cool, mossy forests.
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About the Mindanao Mountain Rat
The Mindanao mountain rat, known scientifically as Limnomys sibuanus, was first officially described in 1905. This means a scientist named Edgar Alexander Mearns was the first to write about it and give it its scientific name. At first, he only had one rat to study.
Later, in 1913, another scientist named Ned Hollister thought he found a different species of rat, which he called L. mearnsii. But after more study, scientists realized that L. mearnsii was actually the same as L. sibuanus. When two different names are given to the same animal, the older name is usually kept, and the newer one becomes a synonym.
In 2003, a new species called Limnomys bryophilus was discovered. This new rat looks a lot like the Mindanao mountain rat but has some key differences. For example, L. bryophilus has a longer tail, bigger back feet, and softer fur that is grayish-white underneath. Its skull is also larger with a longer snout. Both these rat species are endemic to the Kitanglad Mountain Range. This means they are found naturally nowhere else in the world. They live at different heights on the mountains.
What Does It Look Like?
The Mindanao mountain rat is a medium-sized rodent. Its body, from head to where its tail starts, is about 11.9 to 14.4 centimeters (about 4.7 to 5.7 inches) long. Its tail is even longer, measuring about 14.7 to 17.4 centimeters (about 5.8 to 6.9 inches). It usually weighs between 47 and 82 grams (about 1.7 to 2.9 ounces).
Its fur is short and a bit rough. The top part of the rat's body is yellowish-brown. Its belly and underside are plain white, without any brown spots on its chest. The ears and back feet of the Mindanao mountain rat are smaller compared to its close relative, L. bryophilus.
Where Does It Live?
This rat lives only in the Kitanglad Mountain Range on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. You can find it on specific mountains within this range, like Mount Apo, Mount Kitanglad, and Mount Malindang.
It prefers to live at very high altitudes, usually between 2,000 and 2,800 meters (about 6,560 to 9,180 feet) above sea level. Its home is in cool, damp forests. These forests are often filled with conifer trees and laurel trees that can grow up to 10 meters (about 33 feet) tall. The forest floor is usually covered with fallen trees, rhododendron bushes, other shrubs, ferns, orchids, soft mosses, and lichens.
How Is It Doing?
The Mindanao mountain rat lives in a small area, but it's quite common within its habitat. Its home is the tropical high-altitude rainforest and moss forest. Luckily, the entire Kitanglad Mountain Range is part of the Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park. This park was made a protected area in the year 2000.
This means the rat's home is safe and not being destroyed by human activities. There are no major known threats to this species right now. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed its conservation status as "least concern". This means scientists are not worried about it becoming endangered anytime soon.
 | Frances Mary Albrier |
 | Whitney Young |
 | Muhammad Ali |
