Voalavo gymnocaudus
| Voalavo gymnocaudus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Nesomyidae |
| Genus: | Voalavo |
| Species: | V. gymnocaudus |
| Binomial name | |
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Voalavo gymnocaudus Carleton and Goodman, 1998 |
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| Known records of Voalavo gymnocaudus (red) and Voalavo antsahabensis (green) | |
Voalavo gymnocaudus, also known as the northern voalavo,naked-tailed voalavo, or just voalavo, is a rodent in the family Nesomyidae found in the highlands of northern Madagascar. Discovered in 1994 and formally described in 1998, it is the type species of genus Voalavo; its closest relative is Voalavo antsahabensis of the Central Highlands. DNA sequence data suggests it may be more closely related to Eliurus grandidieri than to other species of the closely related genus Eliurus. V. gymnocaudus is found at 1,250 to 1,950 m (4,100 to 6,400 ft) above sea level in montane wet and dry forest in the Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud massifs. Nocturnal and solitary, it lives mainly on the ground, but can climb, and probably eats plant matter. Despite a small range, it is classified as "Least Concern" because it lacks obvious threats and much of its range is within protected areas.
Voalavo gymnocaudus is a small, mouse-like rodent with soft, gray fur which is only slightly darker above than below. The ears are short and rounded. The long tail appears mostly naked and lacks a distinct tuft, which is present in Eliurus. It differs from V. antsahabensis mainly in the values of some measurements. The skull is delicate, with a long, narrow rostrum (front part), narrow interorbital region (between the eyes), and no development of ridges on the braincase. The molars are relatively high-crowned (hypsodont). Body mass is 17 to 25.5 g (0.60 to 0.90 oz).
The rodent fauna of the Northern Highlands of Madagascar remained almost totally unstudied until the 1990s. A 1994 survey of the Anjanaharibe-Sud Reserve partially filled this gap and led to the discovery of two new species: Eliurus grandidieri (genus Eliurus) and Voalavo gymnocaudus, the first known and type species of the genus Voalavo. Both species were formally described in 1998 by Michael Carleton and Steven Goodman. The generic name, Voalavo, is a general Malagasy word for rodent, and the specific name, gymnocaudus, refers to the naked tail, which distinguishes V. gymnocaudus from the related tufted-tailed rats (Eliurus). In 2000, the species was also recorded from the nearby Marojejy National Park.
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