Macruromys

The Guinea - tooth small rats ( Macruromys ) are a rodent species from the group of Altweltmäuse ( Murinae ). The genus includes two species.

These rodents reach a body length 15-25 centimeters, which must be added a 20 to 34 centimeters long tail comes. Their fur is colored on the top yellow gray to gray- brown, the underside is whitish to light gray. Characteristic are the long tail and the small and very simply constructed molars.

The animals live in New Guinea, their habitat is mountainous forests up to 1800 meters above sea level. They live on the ground and feed probably from soft plant parts. Otherwise, little is known about their way of life.

There are two types:

• Macruromys elegans is the smaller of the two species and known only from a single area in western New Guinea. Your level of danger is unclear.
• Macruromys major is larger. She lives in central and eastern New Guinea and is not at risk, according to the IUCN.

Systematically is the genus of the Pogonomys group, a predominantly indigenous to New Guinea radiation of Altweltmäuse.