Megalomys desmarestii

Megalomys desmarestii, also known as the Martinique muskrat,[2] Desmarest's pilorie,[3] or the Martinique giant rice rat,[1] is an extinct rice rat from Martinique in the Caribbean.

Megalomys desmarestii
Head of a rat, with long vibrissae and large ears, dark above and on the cheeks, lighter below.
Stuffed specimen

Extinct (1897)  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Sigmodontinae
Genus: †Megalomys
Species:
†M. desmarestii
Binomial name
†Megalomys desmarestii
(J. Fischer, 1829)

Description

It was among the largest species of West Indian rice rats, as big as a cat, and was one of the first Caribbean mammals to become extinct during the 20th century.[2] It may have been semi-aquatic, as it was known to escape into the sea when pursued by predators, but it never swam away from the island.[4]

Illustration

Extinction

It was common on Martinique until the end of the 19th century, when attempts were made to exterminate it because it was considered to be a pest of the island's coconut plantations. It was also hunted for food; however, due to its strong musky odor, this was uncommon. On 8 May 1902, the volcano Mount Pelée erupted, completely destroying the island's principal city of Saint-Pierre. It has been speculated that the rice rat became extinct then or during a later eruption in 1902, but predation by introduced small Indian mongooses is more likely to have been the primary cause of its extinction.[1]

References
  1. Turvey, S.T.; Helgen, K. (2017). "Megalomys desmarestii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T12980A22377057. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T12980A22377057.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. Watts, David. 1990. The West Indies: Patterns of Development, Culture, and Environmental Change Since 1492. Cambridge University Press ISBN 0-521-38651-9
  3. Musser, G.G. and Carleton, M.D. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894–1531 in Wilson, D.E. and Reeder, D.M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference. 3rd ed. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2 vols., 2142 pp. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0
  4. Flannery, T. and Schouten, P. 2001. A Gap in Nature: Discovering the World's Extinct Animals. Atlantic Monthly Press, New York. ISBN 0-87113-797-6
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