| Rhynchomys | |
|---|---|
 Mount Data Shrew Rat (Rhynchomys soricoides) | |
| Scientific Classification | |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Rodentia |
| Family | Muridae Murinae |
| Genus | Rhynchomys |
Rhynchomys or shrewlike rats, also known as the tweezer-beaked rats, is a genus of unusual murids found only on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. They look a great deal like shrews and are an example of convergent evolution. Shrewlike rats evolved to be vermivores (worm-eaters) and insectivores feeding on soft-bodied invertebrates associated with leaf litter.
Characteristics[]
The snout and rostrum are very long. Eyes are small. Head and body is 18.8–21.5 cm with a tail 10.5–14.6 cm (Nowak, 1999). Only two molars are present; these are small and peg-like. Incisors are described as needle-like and mandibles as delicate (Nowak, 1999; Balete et al., 2007).
Species[]
From 1895 until 1981, Rhynchomys was only known from a few specimens taken from near the type locality of Rhynchomys soricoides. In 1981, this was expanded by one species with the discovery and description of Rhynchomys isarogensis In April, 2007, Balete and colleagues described two additional species, Rhynchomys banahao and Rhynchomys tapulao from Mount Banahao and Mount Tapulao, respectively.
Banahao Shrew Rat (Balete, Rickart, Rosell-Ambal, Jansa & Heaney, 2007) (Rhynchomys banahao) Isarog Shrew Rat (Musser & Freeman, 1981) (Rhynchomys isarogensis) Mount Data Shrew Rat (Thomas, 1985) (Rhynchomys soricoides) Rhynchomys tapulao (Balete, Rickart, Rosell-Ambal, Jansa, & Heaney, 2007)