Flores cave rat

The Flores Cave Rat ( Spelaeomys florensis ) is an extinct rodent species from the group of Altweltmäuse ( Murinae ).

From this rodent skull and jaw parts were found which were from at least 32 individuals. In its construction and its dimensions, the findings are similar to the Flores giant rat ( Papagomys ), but differ in the construction of the molars.

Perhaps the Flores cave rats lived partly on trees and feeding on buds, flowers and insects.

The finds were discovered in a cave on the Indonesian island of Flores and dated to an age of approximately 3550 years. About the causes and timing of extinction of the species nothing definite is known.