Dephomys

The Defua rats ( Dephomys ) are a rodent species from the group of Altweltmäuse ( Murinae ). The genus includes two species.

Defua rats have a brown coat, the flanks are slightly lighter and the underside is white. The face is long and pointed, the ears are small and virtually hairless, the tail is very long. The animals reach a body length 11-15 centimeters, the tail measures 18 to 22 inches and the weight is 30 to 60 grams.

Defua rats are located in western Africa, their range extends from Sierra Leone to Ghana. They inhabit tropical forests and prefer this swampy, lined with dense vegetation areas. They are nocturnal and can climb well. The food of these animals consists mainly of fruits, but they also take insects to him.

The two types are:

• Dephomys defua that is spread from Sierra Leone to Ghana, and
• Dephomys eburnea which occurs only in Liberia and the Ivory Coast.

The division into two types is not without controversy, sometimes they are also combined into a common type. The IUCN, which also makes it classified the common type as " not at risk " ( least concern ).

Systematically, the Defua rats to Hobomys group be expected.