Gran Canaria giant rat
Extinct species of rodent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gran Canaria giant rat (Canariomys tamarani) is an extinct species of murid rodent belonging to the genus Canariomys endemic to the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain).
| Gran Canaria giant rat Temporal range: Holocene | |
|---|---|
| |
| Fossils in Museo de la Naturaleza y el Hombre in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Placentalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | †Canariomys |
| Species: | †C. tamarani |
| Binomial name | |
| †Canariomys tamarani Lopez-Martinez & Telesfóro Bravo | |
This rodent is known from Holocene to pre-Hispanic fossil remains found at several places on the island of Gran Canaria, the youngest of which have been dated to shortly before the beginning of the Common Era.[1] This species was previously listed in the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as extinct, but was removed from the list because it is now considered to have gone extinct before 1500 CE.[citation needed]
Another giant rat of the Canary Islands was the Tenerife giant rat, Canariomys bravoi. It is believed that the arrival of humans and the introduction of feral dogs led to the extinction of both species.[2]
Description
Palaeoecology
The giant rat was herbivorous and terrestrial, with some digging skills and the ability to climb trees.[3] Its dental microwear shows that it ate a diverse array of plants but that it did not consume grass.[4]
