Rattus

Rattus is a genus of muroid rodents, all typically called rats. However, the term rat can also be applied to rodent species outside of this genus.

Rattus
Temporal range: Early Pleistocene – Recent
The brown rat (Rattus norvegicus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Tribe: Rattini
Genus: Rattus
Fischer de Waldheim, 1803
Type species
Rattus rattus
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

68 species

Synonyms[1]
  • Stenomys Thomas, 1910
  • Acanthomys Gray, 1867
  • Christomys Sody, 1941
  • Cironomys Sody, 1941
  • Epimys Trouessart, 1881
  • Geromys Sody, 1941
  • Mollicomys Sody, 1941
  • Octomys Sody, 1941
  • Pullomys Sody, 1941
  • Togomys Dieterlen, 1989

Species and description

The best-known Rattus species are the black rat (R. rattus) and the brown rat (R. norvegicus). The group is generally known as the Old World rats or true rats and originated in Asia. Rats are bigger than most Old World mice, which are their relatives, but seldom weigh over 500 grams (1.1 lb) in the wild.

Taxonomy of Rattus

The genus Rattus is a member of the giant subfamily Murinae. Several other murine genera are sometimes considered part of Rattus: Lenothrix, Anonymomys, Sundamys, Kadarsanomys, Diplothrix, Margaretamys, Lenomys, Komodomys, Palawanomys, Bunomys, Nesoromys, Stenomys, Taeromys, Paruromys, Abditomys, Tryphomys, Limnomys, Tarsomys, Bullimus, Apomys, Millardia, Srilankamys, Niviventer, Maxomys, Leopoldamys, Berylmys, Mastomys, Myomys, Praomys, Hylomyscus, Heimyscus, Stochomys, Dephomys and Aethomys.

The genus Rattus proper contains 64 extant species. A subgeneric breakdown of the species has been proposed, but does not include all species.[2]

Species

Genus Rattus – Typical rats

Phylogeny

The following phylogeny of selected Rattus species is from Pagès, et al. (2010).[3]

Berylmys bowersi

Berylmys berdmorei

Bandicota savilei

Bandicota indica

Rattus 

Rattus nitidus

Rattus norvegicus

Rattus exulans

Rattus andamanensis

Rattus argentiventer

Rattus tiomanicus

Rattus losea

Rattus sp.

Rattus tanezumi

Rattus rattus

References

  1. "Rattus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. Thomson, Vicki; Wiewel, Andrew; Chinen, Aldo; Maryanto, Ibnu; Sinaga, M. H.; How, Ric; Aplin, Ken; Suzuki, Hitoshi (2018). "A perspective for resolving the systematics of Rattus, the vertebrates with the most influence on human welfare". Zootaxa. 4459 (3): 431–452. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4459.3.2. PMID 30314119. S2CID 52975664.
  3. Pagès, Marie; Chaval, Yannick; Herbreteau, Vincent; Waengsothorn, Surachit; Cosson, Jean-François; Hugot, Jean-Pierre; Morand, Serge; Michaux, Johan (2010). "Revisiting the taxonomy of the Rattini tribe: a phylogeny-based delimitation of species boundaries". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 10: 184. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-10-184. PMC 2906473. PMID 20565819.
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