- Asiatic lion
- Aye-aye
- Black howler monkey
- Black lion tamarin
- Black rat
- Brown rat, Norway rat
- Brush-tailed bettong
- Capybara
- Common squirrel monkey
- De Brazza's Monkey
- Geoffroy's marmoset
- Dwarf mongoose
- Goeldi's monkey
- Giant jumping rat
- Golden-headed lion tamarin
- Golden lion tamarin
- Grey mouse lemur
- Javan langur
- Lac Alaotra gentle lemur, Bandro
- Lion-tailed macaque
- Livingstone's fruit bat
- Mongoose lemur
- White-faced saki
- Naked mole rat
- North American river otter
- Okapi
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- Pygmy hippopotamus
- Pygmy slow loris
- Red panda
- Red ruffed lemur
- Ring-tailed lemur
- Sand cat
- Slender-tailed meerkat
- South American fur seal
- South American tapir
- Southern pudu
- Spiny mouse
- Two-toed sloth
- Water vole
- Western lowland gorilla
Giant jumping rat
Scientific name: Hypogeomys antimena
Country: Madagascar:
Diet: The giant jumping rat feeds on fallen fruit and seeds. Food is consumed in a manner similar to squirrels. It is held in the forepaws and manipulated in the mouth while the rat sits semi-upright on its haunches.
Habitats: It is found in the dry deciduous forests of western Madagascar, especially around the town of Morondava.
Description: The giant jumping rat is the largest rodent in Madagascar and is about the size of a rabbit. It has long pointed ears, short fur and large rear feet which are used for jumping.
Lifestyle: Giant jumping rats are nocturnal and live in burrows. These typically consist of a complex of tunnels, each around 45cm in diameter, up to 5 metres long and one metre underground. A family unit, consisting of a monogamous pair and offspring, generally lives in a burrow and maintains a territory covering 7-10 acres, although this expands in the dry seasons when food is scarce.
Did you know?
Although its mormal mode of movement is walking, the giant jumping rat can leap almost one metre into the air to avoid predators.
Conservation news
The current giant jumping rat population is estimated at around 11,000. It has been predicted that at the current rates of habitat loss and predation, the giant jumping rat could be extinct in the wild within about 24 years.
