Northern Luzon giant cloud rat | |
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Scientific classification
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Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Genus: | Phloeomys |
Species: | P. pallidus
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Binomial name | |
Phloeomys pallidus
Nehring, 1890
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The northern Luzon giant cloud rat (Phloeomys pallidus) or northern Luzon slender-tailed cloud rat, also known as bu-ot in Filipino, is a large species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is only found in Luzon, the Philippines. [1] [2] [3]
This very large rodent weighs 1.9–2.6 kg (4.2–5.7 lb) and is 75–77 cm (29.5–30.5 in) long, including its tail. [3] The colour of its relatively long pelage, which also covers the tail, is highly variable, but usually it is mostly very pale brown-grey or white with some dark brown or black patches. [3] They often have a black mask and collar, but can also be entirely white. [2] [3] The only other member of the genus Phloeomys, the southern Luzon giant cloud rat (P. cumingi), has a more southerly distribution, generally is smaller (although with some overlap) and it is entirely dark brown; [4] however, the occasional brown Northern Luzon giant cloud rat has been reported in the Mountain Province, [2] and the taxonomic limits between the two Phloeomys are not fully resolved. [1]
The northern Luzon giant cloud rat is only found in northern and central part of Luzon, the Philippines. [1] It is found in at least 12 provinces. [2] The northern Luzon giant cloud rat prefers forest and scrub, but also occurs in degraded habitats such as plantations. [1] It occurs from sea level to an altitude of about 2,200 metres (7,200 ft). [3] In some areas it overlaps with the rarer giant bushy-tailed cloud rat, but that species mainly occurs at higher altitudes than the northern Luzon giant cloud rat. [3]
The northern Luzon giant cloud rat is nocturnal and feeds on various types of vegetation. [3] Because of its relatively large size, it does not enter traditional small-mammal traps and this has limited research in the species. [5]
Northern Luzon giant cloud rats often live in pairs with one or two dependent young. [2] They give birth in hollow boles of trees (standing or fallen) or in burrows in the ground. [2] The sperm head of northern Luzon giant cloud rat has a short apical hook, with the sperm tail attached off-center basally. [6] The tail of the sperm is about 127 μm long. [6]
The northern Luzon giant cloud rat can cause extensive damage to rice crops and are sometimes considered a pest. [7] They are regularly hunted for food in the Sierra Madre. [8] It has been extirpated from some regions because of hunting, [3] but overall it appears to be able to withstand hunting pressure and in general it remains common and widespread. [1]