Pencil-tailed tree mouse
Encyclopedia
Chiropodomys is a genus of Old World rats and mice native to Southeast Asia
and Indonesia
. They are tree-dwelling, very small mice, mostly found in tropical rainforest
. In total six extant species have been identified, but only one of these, Chiropodomys gliroides, is common and widely distributed, and has been extensively studied.
, thus the genus name.
Chiropodomys gliroides is particularly common in bamboo
forest. It is active at night, sleeps during the day in a nest in the bamboo, padded with leaves. It eats exclusively plants.
A close connection between Chiropodomys and the genus Hapalomys
(marmoset rats) is accepted. The Haeromys
(pygmy tree mice) are also thought to be closely related. On the other hand, an earlier-posited connection with Crateromys
(cloudrunners) is no longer considered probable.
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. They are tree-dwelling, very small mice, mostly found in tropical rainforest
Tropical rainforest
A tropical rainforest is an ecosystem type that occurs roughly within the latitudes 28 degrees north or south of the equator . This ecosystem experiences high average temperatures and a significant amount of rainfall...
. In total six extant species have been identified, but only one of these, Chiropodomys gliroides, is common and widely distributed, and has been extensively studied.
Species
Genus Chiropodomys - pencil-tailed tree mice- Palawan Pencil-tailed Tree MousePalawan Pencil-tailed Tree MouseThe Palawan Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Philippines.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 9 July 2007....
, Chiropodomys calamianensis Taylor, 1934, PalawanPalawanPalawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
and neighboring islands - Indomalayan Pencil-tailed Tree MouseIndomalayan Pencil-tailed Tree MouseThe Indomalayan Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.-References:...
, Chiropodomys gliroides Blyth, 1856, mainland Southeast Asia, southeastern ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, SumatraSumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, JavaJavaJava is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
, and BaliBaliBali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east... - Koopman's Pencil-tailed Tree MouseKoopman's Pencil-tailed Tree MouseKoopman's Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Indonesia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Chiropodomys karlkoopmani Musser, 1979, Mentawai IslandsMentawai IslandsThe Mentawai Islands are a chain of about seventy islands and islets off the western coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. Siberut is the largest of the islands. The other major islands are Sipura, North Pagai and South Pagai . The islands lie approximately 150 km off the Sumatran coast, across the... - Large Pencil-tailed Tree MouseLarge Pencil-tailed Tree MouseThe Large Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found only in Malaysia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 9 July 2007....
, Chiropodomys major Thomas, 1893, BorneoBorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia.... - Gray-bellied Pencil-tailed Tree MouseGray-bellied Pencil-tailed Tree MouseThe Gray-bellied Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests.It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Chiropodomys muroides Medway, 1965, Borneo - Small Pencil-tailed Tree MouseSmall Pencil-tailed Tree MouseThe Small Pencil-tailed Tree Mouse is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia.-References:* Baillie, J. 1996. . Downloaded on 9 July 2007....
, Chiropodomys pusillus Thomas, 1893, Borneo - †Chiropodomys maximus, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
- †Chiropodomys primitivus, southern ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Description
Species of Chiropodomys have a body length of 7 to 12 cm, plus a tail of 9 to 17 cm. They are generally gray or brown on the back and white underneath. The tail is only sparsely covered with hair, but has somewhat more at the end, giving the appearance of a pencilPencil
A pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
, thus the genus name.
Chiropodomys gliroides is particularly common in bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
forest. It is active at night, sleeps during the day in a nest in the bamboo, padded with leaves. It eats exclusively plants.
A close connection between Chiropodomys and the genus Hapalomys
Hapalomys
Hapalomys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* Delacour's Marmoset Rat * Marmoset Rat...
(marmoset rats) is accepted. The Haeromys
Haeromys
Haeromys is a genus of rodent in the family Muridae.It contains the following species:* Ranee Mouse * Minahassa Ranee Mouse * Lesser Ranee Mouse...
(pygmy tree mice) are also thought to be closely related. On the other hand, an earlier-posited connection with Crateromys
Crateromys
Crateromys is a genus of rodent, native to the Philippines, in the family Muridae.It contains four species:* Dinagat Bushy-Tailed Cloud Rat * Giant Bushy-Tailed Cloud Rat...
(cloudrunners) is no longer considered probable.