The Nesomyidae are a family of African rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which are native to either continental Africa or to Madagascar. Included in this family are Malagasy rats and mice, climbing mice, African rock mice, swamp mice, pouched rats, and the white-tailed rat.
Nesomyids are small- to medium-sized rodents, with the largest being the size of a rat. Physically, they may resemble mice, rats, voles, or hamsters, depending on the species and subfamily. Their diets vary from fairly strict herbivory to nearly pure insectivory. Their habits are similarly variable, with some species climbing trees, and others burrowing in the ground. They give birth to up to four young after a gestation period around six weeks.
Many of these animals were once thought to be related to other groups of muroid rodents, but this African-based clade has been proposed and confirmed on the basis of genetic studies. Such alternate arrangement include the pouched rats in the family Muridae, and the white-tailed rat in the family Cricetidae. Likewise, all members of the Nesomyidae are often placed in the family Muridae along with all other members of the Muroidea.
Nesomyids are classified in six subfamilies, 21 genera, and 68 species.
FAMILY NESOMYIDAE
Subfamily Cricetomyinae - pouched ratsGenus BeamysLesser hamster-rat, Beamys hindeiGreater hamster-rat, Beamys majorGenus Cricetomys - giant pouched ratsSouthern giant pouched rat, Cricetomys ansorgeiGambian pouched rat, Cricetomys gambianusEmin's pouched rat, Cricetomys eminiKivu giant pouched rat, Cricetomys kivuensisGenus Saccostomus - pouched miceSouth African pouched mouse, Saccostomus campestrisMearns's pouched mouse, Saccostomus mearnsiSubfamily DelanymyinaeGenus DelanymysDelany's mouse, Delanymys brooksiSubfamily DendromurinaeGenus Dendromus - climbing miceRemarkable climbing mouse, Dendromus insignisMount Kahuzi climbing mouse, Dendromus kahuziensisMonard's African climbing mouse, Dendromus leucostomusLovat's climbing mouse, Dendromus lovatiGray climbing mouse, Dendromus melanotisBrant's climbing mouse, Dendromus mesomelasBanana climbing mouse, Dendromus messoriusChestnut climbing mouse, Dendromus mystacalisKivu climbing mouse, Dendromus nyasae (kivu)Nyika climbing mouse, Dendromus nyikaeCameroon climbing mouse, Dendromus oreasDendromus ruppiVernay's climbing mouse, Dendromus vernayiGenus MegadendromusNikolaus's mouse, Megadendromus nikolausiGenus DendroprionomysVelvet climbing mouse, Dendroprionomys rousselotiGenus PrionomysDollman's climbing mouse, Prionomys batesiGenus MalacothrixGerbil Mouse, Malacothrix typicaGenus Steatomys - fat miceBocage's African fat mouse, Steatomys bocageiNorthwestern fat mouse, Steatomys caurinusDainty fat mouse, Steatomys cuppediusJackson's fat mouse, Steatomys jacksoniKreb's fat mouse, Steatomys krebsiiPousargues's African fat mouse, Steatomys opimusTiny fat mouse, Steatomys parvusFat mouse, Steatomys pratensisSubfamily MystromyinaeGenus MystromysWhite-tailed rat, Mystromys albicaudatusSubfamily Nesomyinae - Malagasy rats and miceGenus Brachytarsomys - Malagasy white-tailed ratsWhite-tailed antsangy, Brachytarsomys albicaudaHairy-tailed antsangy, Brachytarsomys villosaGenus Brachyuromys - Malagasy short-tailed ratsBetsileo short-tailed rat, Brachyuromys betsileoensisGregarious short-tailed rat, Brachyuromys ramirohitraGenus Eliurus - tufted-tailed ratsTsingy tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus antsingyAnkarana Special Reserve tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus carletoniEllerman's tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus ellermaniDaniel's tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus danieliGrandidier's tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus grandidieriMajor's tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus majoriLesser tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus minorDormouse tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus myoxinusWhite-tipped tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus penicillatusPetter's tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus petteriTanala tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus tanalaWebb's tufted-tailed rat, Eliurus webbiGenus GymnuromysVoalavoanala, Gymnuromys robertiGenus HypogeomysVotsovotsa (Malagasy giant rat), Hypogeomys antimenaGenus Macrotarsomys - big-footed miceBastard big-footed mouse, Macrotarsomys bastardiGreater big-footed mouse, Macrotarsomys ingensMacrotarsomys petteriGenus MonticolomysKoopman's montane voalavo, Monticolomys koopmaniGenus NesomysWhite-bellied nesomys, Nesomys audebertiWestern nesomys, Nesomys lambertoniIsland mouse, Nesomys rufusGenus VoalavoEastern voalavo, Voalavo antsahabensisNaked-tailed voalavo, Voalavo gymnocaudusSubfamily Petromyscinae - African rock miceGenus PetromyscusBarbour's rock mouse, Petromyscus barbouriPygmy rock mouse, Petromyscus collinusBrukkaros pygmy rock mouse, Petromyscus monticularisShortridge's rock mouse, Petromyscus shortridgei
