Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny rat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny-rat
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Echimyidae
Subfamily:	Euryzygomatomyinae
Genus:	Trinomys
Species:	T. yonenagae
Binomial name
Trinomys yonenagae (Rocha, 1995)
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Synonyms
Proechimys yonenagae Rocha, 1995

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The Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny-rat (Trinomys yonenagae) is a special type of spiny rat. It is found only in Brazil. People in Brazil sometimes call it rabo de facho, which means "torch-tail." This rat is named after Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda, a scientist who studied genetics.

This spiny rat is considered an endangered species. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever. It lives in a very small area, and its home is shrinking. Scientists believe this rat separated from its closest relative, the hairy Atlantic spiny rat, about 8.5 million years ago.

What Does the Yonenaga's Atlantic Spiny-Rat Look Like?

This spiny rat is quite small. Its head and body are about 16 centimeters (6 inches) long. Its tail is even longer, around 19 centimeters (7.5 inches). It has large back feet and a long tail. These features help it move around by hopping.

Its ears are also big, and the bones around its inner ear are unusually large. Young rats have grey fur. As they grow up, their fur turns a richer brown color. Even though it's called a "spiny-rat," its fur is mostly soft. It does have some longer, dark, flexible bristles. These are like the spines found on other spiny rats. This animal also has a special gland near its rear. It makes a scent that smells like "tutti-frutti"!

Where Does the Yonenaga's Atlantic Spiny-Rat Live?

The Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny-rat lives only in a small part of Bahia state, Brazil. This area is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) long. It's on the west side of the São Francisco River.

This region has sandy dunes. It is a dry, semi-arid place. The plants there are sparse, meaning there aren't many. You'll mostly find cactuses and bromeliads. This habitat is where two different types of Brazilian environments meet: the cerrado and the caatinga.

How Does the Yonenaga's Atlantic Spiny-Rat Behave?

This spiny rat lives in a hot, dry, sandy place. But it doesn't have many special body features to deal with the desert heat. Instead, it uses its behavior to stay cool and safe.

• Active at Night: It is nocturnal, meaning it is active at night. This helps it avoid the hottest parts of the day.
• Digging Burrows: Unlike some other spiny rats, it digs burrows. It spends the day inside these cool, underground tunnels.
• Sharing Homes: These burrows are shared by many rats. They are usually found in valleys between sand dunes. Plants in these spots provide some shade. The burrows can go as deep as 15 meters (50 feet) underground!
• What They Eat: These rats are omnivores. This means they eat both plants and some insects. They mostly eat local plants, like araçá-boi fruit. They get a lot of their water from these fruits.

Each burrow system can have up to eight adult rats. They also have young rats living with them. These rats don't seem to fight over territory. Several female rats might even raise their babies together in the same burrow. Sometimes, they might have small arguments. But mostly, they are friendly. They groom each other, rub noses, and huddle together. Even when a new rat from the same species enters their burrow, they are more likely to huddle than to fight.

Since it's hard to see well in their environment, they use other ways to communicate. They make sounds and drum their feet to warn others. They also use scents from their anal glands. These scents help them identify other rats and understand what they intend to do.

Life Cycle and Reproduction

Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny-rats can have babies all year long. However, young rats born during the dry season are less likely to survive.

• Courtship: When males and females are ready to mate, the males will stamp their feet, make calls, and gently bite the female's neck.
• Family Life: Scientists think these rats are monogamous. This means a male and female pair up. Interestingly, both male and female rats have been seen helping to care for young that are not their own. This happens within their shared burrows.
• Babies: Pregnancy lasts for three months. Usually, two young rats are born at a time. The babies are born with soft grey fur. Their eyes are open, and they can move around right away.
• Growing Up: They become adults when they are about three to four months old. Young rats often stay in the burrow where they were born, even after they are grown up. They don't always leave to start a new colony.
• Lifespan: In places where they are cared for by humans, these rats have lived for up to 13 years. This is a very long life for a rodent of their size!