Zyzomys is a genus of rodents with unusually thick, long tails. Five species of the genus are known in Australia, where they are called rock rats or thick-tailed rats. The genus was classified by Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas in 1909.
| Zyzomys Temporal range: Late Pliocene - Recent
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|---|---|
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| The Central rock rat (Zyzomys pedunculatus) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Tribe: | Hydromyini |
| Genus: | Zyzomys Thomas, 1909 |
| Type species | |
| Mus argurus | |
| Species | |
|
Zyzomys argurus | |
Taxonomy
editThere are five known species of rock-rat.[1] The central rock rat (Zyzomys pedunculatus) was once believed to be extinct until rediscovered in 1996.
- Silver-tailed rock rat, Zyzomys argurus
- Arnhem Land rock rat, Zyzomys maini
- Carpentarian rock rat, Zyzomys palatilis
- Central rock rat, Zyzomys pedunculatus
- Kimberley rock rat, Zyzomys woodwardi
References
edit- ^ Musser, G. G.; Carleton, M. D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1521–1522. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.