Northern Luzon giant cloud rat

This very large rodent weighs 1.9–2.6 kg (4.2–5.7 lb) and is 75–77 cm (29.5–30.5 in) long, including its tail.[3] The colour of its relatively long pelage, which also covers the tail, is highly variable, but usually it is mostly very pale brown-grey or white with some dark brown or black patches.[3] They often have a black mask and collar, but can also be entirely white.[2][3] The only other member of the genus Phloeomys, the southern Luzon giant cloud rat (P. cumingi), has a more southerly distribution, generally is smaller (although with some overlap) and it is entirely dark brown;[4] however, the occasional brown Northern Luzon giant cloud rat has been reported in the Mountain Province,[2] and the taxonomic limits between the two Phloeomys are not fully resolved.[1]

Close-up of a Northern Luzon giant cloud rat.

The northern Luzon giant cloud rat is only found in northern and central part of Luzon, the Philippines.[1] It is found in at least 12 provinces.[2] The northern Luzon giant cloud rat prefers forest and scrub, but also occurs in degraded habitats such as plantations.[1] It occurs from sea level to an altitude of about 2,200 metres (7,200 ft).[3] In some areas it overlaps with the rarer giant bushy-tailed cloud rat, but that species mainly occurs at higher altitudes than the northern Luzon giant cloud rat.[3]

The northern Luzon giant cloud rat is nocturnal and feeds on various types of vegetation.[3] Because of its relatively large size, it does not enter traditional small-mammal traps and this has limited research in the species.[5]

Northern Luzon giant cloud rats often live in pairs with one or two dependent young.[2] They give birth in hollow boles of trees (standing or fallen) or in burrows in the ground.[2] The sperm head of northern Luzon giant cloud rat has a short apical hook, with the sperm tail attached off-center basally.[6] The tail of the sperm is about 127 µm long.[6]

The northern Luzon giant cloud rat can cause extensive damage to rice crops and are sometimes considered a pest.[7] They are regularly hunted for food in the Sierra Madre.[8] It has been extirpated from some regions because of hunting,[3] but overall it appears to be able to withstand hunting pressure and in general it remains common and widespread.[1]