Subfamily Echimyinae Phylum Chordata Order Rodent | Scientific name Isothrix Rank Genus | |
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Lower classifications Yellow-crowned brush-tailed rat | ||
Isothrix bistriata yellow crowned brush tailed rat
The toros or brush-tailed rats, genus Isothrix, are a group of spiny rats found in tropical South America, particularly in the Amazon Basin.
Contents
- Isothrix bistriata yellow crowned brush tailed rat
- Description
- Natural history
- Classification
- Species
- References
Description
Toros look like large rats with soft fur on the body and long guard hairs on the scaly tail (Emmons, 2005). Head and body is 18-27.5 cm and tail is 17–30 cm (Nowak, 1999). Weight is 320-570 grams.
Natural history
These animals appear to be arboreal, based on the shape of their hind feet (Nowak, 1999). They are thought to spend the day in holes in the ground near trees.
Classification
There are currently five species recognized in the genus. Callistomys pictus was previously considered a member of this genus, but most authors consider it distinct enough to warrant a separate genus (Woods and Kilpatrick, 2005). Although tentatively considered an echimyine, Emmons (2005) and other authors as have suggested that Isothrix may not be particularly closely related to other members of its subfamily. There does, however, appear to be good support for the monophyly of the three species found in this genus (Emmons, 2005).