Giant tree-rat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Giant tree-rat |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Superfamily: | Octodontoidea |
| Family: | Echimyidae |
| Subfamily: | Echimyinae |
| Tribe: | Echimyini |
| Genus: | Toromys Iack-Ximenes, De Vivo, & Percequillo, 2005 |
| Species: |
T. grandis
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| Binomial name | |
| Toromys grandis (Wagner, 1845)
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| Synonyms | |
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Loncheres grandis Wagner, 1845 |
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The giant tree-rat (Toromys grandis) is a special kind of rodent that belongs to the Echimyidae family, also known as spiny rats. It is the only species in its entire genus called Toromys. This means it's unique and doesn't have any close relatives within its own group.
This amazing creature lives only in Brazil. You can find it in the flooded forests right along the banks of the mighty Amazon River and its many smaller rivers.
For a long time, scientists thought this rat belonged to other groups of animals, like the Loncheres or Makalata genera. But in 2005, after more study, they decided it was so different that it needed its very own genus, Toromys.
The name Toromys is quite interesting! The first part, "Toro," comes from a Portuguese word, toró, which sounds like the noises this rat makes. The second part, "mys," comes from an ancient greek word, μῦς, which simply means "mouse" or "rat." So, its name describes its unique sounds!
How Giant Tree-Rats Are Related
Scientists often group animals together based on how closely they are related through evolution. This helps us understand the "family tree" of life.
Giant Tree-Rat's Family Tree
The Toromys genus, which includes the giant tree-rat, is very closely related to another genus called Pattonomys. These two groups are like close cousins.
Connections to Other Spiny Rats
Both Toromys and Pattonomys are also related to other spiny rat groups, such as Echimys, Phyllomys, and Makalata. This is why the giant tree-rat was once thought to be part of the Makalata group.
These five genera (Toromys, Pattonomys, Echimys, Phyllomys, and Makalata) share a deeper connection with a larger group that includes "bamboo rats." These bamboo rats are named Dactylomys, Olallamys, and Kannabateomys. Also in this larger group are Diplomys and Santamartamys. Scientists figure out these relationships by studying the DNA of these animals.
| Genus-level cladogram of the Echimyini. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The cladogram has been reconstructed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters. |
 | Laphonza Butler |
 | Daisy Bates |
 | Elizabeth Piper Ensley |
