Isothrix barbarabrownae

Isothrix barbarabrownae is a recently discovered species of rodents of the spiny rat family Echimyidae.[1]

Isothrix barbarabrownae
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Echimyidae
Subfamily: Echimyinae
Tribe: Echimyini
Genus: Isothrix
Species:
I. barbarabrownae
Binomial name
Isothrix barbarabrownae
Patterson & Velazco, 2006

Discovery

Family tree of spiny rats

It was discovered in Peru, and is about the same size as a large squirrel, such as a Eurasian red squirrel.[1] It is brown, with a black-and-white tail.[1] It inhabits the Peruvian cloud forest, where it forages for fruit and nuts. It is a nocturnal, climbing rodent which was collected by scientists in 1999, and formally described in 2006.[2] It is named after the biologist and curator, Barbara Elaine Russell Brown.[3]

References

  1. "Scientists discover new species of distinctive cloud-forest rodent". Science Daily. January 25, 2007.
  2. Bruce D. Patterson & Paul M. Velazco (2006). "A distinctive new cloud-forest rodent (Hystricognathi: Echimyidae) from the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru" (PDF). Mastozoología Neotropical. 13 (2): 175–191.
  3. Beolens, Bo. (2009). The eponym dictionary of mammals. Watkins, Michael, 1940-, Grayson, Michael. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 28. ISBN 978-0-8018-9533-3. OCLC 593239356.


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