Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat (Crateromys schadenbergi), recorded as Endangered
Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat (Crateromys schadenbergi). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat

Crateromys schadenbergi

Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat is a rodent in the family Muridae (order Rodentia) — Crateromys schadenbergi, recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Crateromys schadenbergi
Taxonomy
Mammalia · Rodentia · Muridae · Crateromys

Appearance

The very long, soft fur, that also covers the tail, is typically all black, but some individuals have white patches.

It weighs 1.35–1.5 kilograms (3.0–3.3 lb) and is 73.5–76 centimetres (28.9–29.9 in) long.

Range and habitat

It is only found in pine and mossy forest at altitudes of 2,000–2,740 metres (6,560–8,990 ft) in the Central Cordillera of Luzon, the Philippines. It is rarer than the northern Luzon giant cloud rat, a shorter-haired species that mainly occurs at lower elevations, but locally the giant bushy-tailed cloud rat remains moderately common in oak-pine forest. The primary threats are hunting and habitat loss.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet

Relatively little is known about its behavior, but it is nocturnal, mainly arboreal and feeds on various types of vegetation.

In crisis

The appearance of the giant bushy-tailed cloud rat has been described as spectacular, and it appears to be an equivalent of large tropical tree squirrels, that are not naturally found in Luzon.

Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat, Wikidata item Q302125. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Panay Cloudrunner (Crateromys heaneyi), recorded as EndangeredEN

Panay Cloudrunner

Crateromys heaneyi
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus
Photograph of Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Javan rhinoceros

Rhinoceros sondaicus
Photograph of Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Sumatran orangutan

Pongo abelii

Quick answers

What is Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat?
Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat is a rodent in the family Muridae (order Rodentia) — Crateromys schadenbergi.
What is the conservation status of Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Crateromys schadenbergi. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat live?
It is only found in pine and mossy forest at altitudes of 2,000–2,740 metres (6,560–8,990 ft) in the Central Cordillera of Luzon, the Philippines.
Why is Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat in crisis?
It is rarer than the northern Luzon giant cloud rat, a shorter-haired species that mainly occurs at lower elevations, but locally the giant bushy-tailed cloud rat remains moderately common in oak-pine forest.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Crateromys schadenbergi?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Giant bushy-tailed cloud rat a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.