Papagomys

Papagomys Temporal range: Late Pleistocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Stuffed specimen of Papagomys armandvillei
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Muridae
Tribe:	Rattini
Genus:	Papagomys Sody, 1941
Species
Papagomys armandvillei †Papagomys theodorverhoeveni

Papagomys is a genus of very large rats in the tribe Rattini of the subfamily Murinae, with body masses of 600–2,500 grams (1.3–5.5 lb).^[1] It contains two species, which are known only from the Indonesian island of Flores:^[2]

• Flores giant rat Papagomys armandvillei
• Verhoeven's giant rat Papagomys theodorverhoeveni (possibly extinct, only known from subfossil remains)

A possible unnamed third species is also known from subfossil remains.^[1]

Both species have records extending to the early Late Pleistocene.^[3] The species are thought to be terrestrial, preferring closed habitats, with P. armandvillei known to engage in burrowing. They are thought to be omnivores, consuming leaves, fruit and invertebrates.^[1]

References

Literature cited

• Aplin, K.P. and Helgen, K.M. 2010. Quaternary murid rodents of Timor. Part I: New material of Coryphomys buehleri Schaub, 1937, and description of a second species of the genus. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 341:1–80.
• Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1430. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
• Zijlstra, J.S., Hoek Ostende, L.W. van den and Due, R.A. 2008. Verhoeven's giant rat of Flores (Papagomys theodorverhoeveni, Muridae) extinct after all? Contributions to Zoology 77(1):25–31.

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