Spelaeomys

Spelaeomys Temporal range: Late Pleistocene–Holocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Conservation status
Extinct  (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Muridae
Subfamily:	Murinae
Genus:	†Spelaeomys Hooijer, 1957
Species:	†S. florensis
Binomial name
†Spelaeomys florensis Hooijer, 1957

Spelaeomys florensis, also known as the Flores cave rat, is an extinct species of rat that was formerly endemic to the island of Flores, Indonesia. MacPhee [de] and Flemming assessed this species to be extinct in 1996, but believed it probably died out before 1500. This specimen is only known from subfossil remains, including at Liang Bua cave. It is the only member of the genus Spelaeomys.^[1] It was large sized species with a body mass of around 0.6–1.6 kilograms (1.3–3.5 lb). It is suggested to have been arboreal animal that lived in closed forests, and to have been herbivorous, consuming leaves and flowers.^[2]

References

1. D. A. HOOIJER (23 december 1957). NEW GIANT PREHISTORIC RATS FROM FLORES LESSER SUNDA ISLANDS. ZOOLOGISCHE MEDEDELINGEN XXXV , No. 21
2. Veatch, E. Grace; Tocheri, Matthew W.; Sutikna, Thomas; McGrath, Kate; Wahyu Saptomo, E.; Jatmiko; Helgen, Kristofer M. (May 2019). "Temporal shifts in the distribution of murine rodent body size classes at Liang Bua (Flores, Indonesia) reveal new insights into the paleoecology of Homo floresiensis and associated fauna". Journal of Human Evolution. 130: 45–60. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.02.002. hdl:2440/121139.