Sulawesian shrew rat

The Small Sulawesi Shrew Rat ( Melasmothrix naso ) is a rodent species from the group of Altweltmäuse ( Murinae ).

General

These rodents have a small, shrew -like body with an elongated skull and just such a snout. The eyes are small, round ears, the tail is short. The front feet are wide, both front and hind feet have long claws. Her short coat is dark brown, the feet are black. The animals reach a body length 11-13 cm, a tail length of 8-9 centimeters and a weight of 40 to 60 grams.

Small Sulawesi shrew rats are endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. They inhabit the central parts of the island, their habitat is mountainous rainforests. They are diurnal and often stay out of moss-covered floors. Their diet consists mainly of earthworms and insect larvae, which they take with their claws from the ground.

About the level of danger can be present give no indication, the IUCN lists the species under "too little data available " ( data deficient ).

System

According to Wilson & Reeder ( 2005), the Small Sulawesi shrew rat namesake of Melasmothrix group, as based on Sulawesi rodent group that acts as the genus still includes the Great Sulawesi Shrew Rat ( Tateomys ). After Lecompte et al. (2008) is the genus of the Rattini, so closely related to the rats.