Animal Info - Poncelet's Giant Rat

(Other Name: Poncelet's Naked-tailed Rat)

Solomys ponceleti

Status: Endangered

1. Profile
2. Tidbits
3. Status and Trends (IUCN Status, Countries Where Currently Found, History of Distribution, Threats and Reasons for Decline)
4. Data on Biology and Ecology (Weight, Habitat, Behavior)
5. References

Profile

One specimen of Poncelet's giant rat weighed more than 1 kg (2.2 lb). Poncelet's giant rat inhabits thick woods. It is arboreal and builds nests of leaves or sticks in the branches or hollows of large trees. Poncelet's giant rat is known only from the islands of Bougainville (Papua New Guinea) and Choiseul (Solomon Islands). Poncelet's giant rat is jeopardized by continued loss of its forest habitat. In particular, logging of the large trees that it requires for nesting has contributed to its decline.

Tidbits

*** Poncelet's giant rat is occasionally eaten by the natives of the Solomon Islands.

*** Members of the genus Solomys are called "naked-tail rats" (there is no hair on most of the length of their tails).

Status and Trends

IUCN Status:

1994: Endangered
1996 - 2004: Endangered (Criteria: B1+2c) (IUCN 2004)

Countries Where Poncelet's Giant Rat Is Currently Found:

2004: Occurs in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands (IUCN 2004).

History of Distribution:

Poncelet's giant rat is known only from the islands of Bougainville (part of the country of Papua New Guinea) and Choiseul (part of the country of Solomon Islands).

Location Map (131 Kb JPEG) (Univ. Texas/Maps)

Threats and Reasons for Decline:

Poncelet's giant rat is jeopardized by continued loss of its forest habitat. In particular, logging of the large trees that it requires for nesting has contributed to its decline. (Nowak 1999)

Data on Biology and Ecology

Weight:

One specimen weighed more than 1 kg (2.2 lb).

Habitat:

Poncelet's giant rat inhabits thick woods.

Poncelet's giant rat is found in the East Melanesian Islands Biodiversity Hotspot (Cons. Intl. 2005).

Behavior:

Poncelet's giant rat is arboreal. It builds nests of leaves or sticks in the branches or hollows of large trees.

References

Bowen-Jones et al. 1997, Cons. Intl. 2005, IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN 2003a, IUCN 2004, Nowak 1999, Nowak & Paradiso 1983, Univ. Texas/Maps

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