Bushy Tailed Cloud Rat

Observations: Little is known about the longevity of these animals, but one captive specimen lived 4.3 years (Richard Weigl 2005).

There is little information available on anti-predator adaptations of C. schadenbergi. It is only known that they have been hunted by native peoples on Northern Luzan Island in the Philippines. Apparently, their fur has some value.

Known Predators:

• humans (Homo sapiens)

Thees animals look a bit like long, bushy-tailed guinea pigs. The body is long, with a slim muzzle, and small eyes and ears. Each of the hands and feet have five digits. The thumb has a flattened nail, while the remaining fingers and toes have strong, but slender claws with a bit of hair at the base of each claw. The head and body length ranges from 325 to 394 mm and the length of the tail ranges from 355 up to 475 mm. The pelage coloration ranges from dark brown to black on the upper body, dark gray on the sides, and lighter gray on the lower body. However, some individuals have white or brownish fur on the anterior of the body, or the underparts are completely white. The fur is very dense, with thick underfur and wavy to straight guard hairs. The tail is long and bushy.

Range length: Head and body: 325 to 394 mm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry

There is little information available on the life span of C. schadenbergi, although it was noted that one animal lived in captivity for four years and three months.

Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 4.25 (high) years.

Crateromys schadenbergi lives in pine and mossy forests on Luzon Island in the Philippines at elevations between 2000 and 2500 meters.

Range elevation: 2000 to 2500 m.

Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; mountains

Luzon bushy-tailed cloud rats (Crateromys schadenbergi) are found only in Benguet, Ifugao, and Mountain provinces of Northern Luzan Island, Philippines. They appear to be common on some high mountains and plateaus.

Biogeographic Regions: oriental (Native )

Other Geographic Terms: island endemic

Luzon bushy-tailed cloud rats have a strange shrill cry that sometimes sounds like insects and may be a form of communication. As mammals, it is likely that they use some visual communication, such as body postures, to communicate. Most mammals have some chemical communication, where scents indicate reproductive status, or help to identify individuals. Tactile communication is also likely to be present, especially between mates, parents and offspring, and between individuals during agonistic encounters.

Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical

Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical

Crateromys schadenbergi is listed on the IUCN Red List as "Vulnerable". It is not listed under CITES. The species is extremely vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation on Northern Luzan Island. Because they endemic only to this island, the loss of habitat is a serious concern.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: endangered

This species is not known to have adverse effects on humans.

Natives of Northern Luzan Island have hunted bushy-tailed cloud rats and sold their wool-like pelts. Some have also been kept as pets, although their temperment in captivity has not been commented on in the literature.

Positive Impacts: pet trade ; body parts are source of valuable material

There was little information on the ecosytem role of bushy tailed cloud rats. However, as herbivores, they may help to disperse seeds in the forests they live in.

Crateromys schadenbergi is primarily an herbivore. It feeds on the buds and bark of pine (Pinus) trees, or fruits on trees.

Plant Foods: wood, bark, or stems; fruit; flowers

Primary Diet: herbivore (Frugivore , Lignivore)

There is little information on reproductive mating systems in bushy-tailed cloud rats.

The information on reproduction in C. schadenbergi is scarce. A single young is reported to have been produced in October, but the general pattern of reporoduction has not been reported.

Based on general characteristics of the Muridae family, this species may have the following: duplex uterus and a baculum.

Breeding interval: The breeding interval for these animals is not known.

Breeding season: The time of year in which breeding occurs is not known.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; viviparous

There is little information on parental care in C. schadenbergi. Because the animals are mammals, we can infer that the mother produces milk and nurses the young. She probably grooms them and protects them as well. The period of juvenile dependence has not been reported for this species.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

During the daylight hours, the giant bushy-tailed cloud rat sleeps in trees, either in a cavity in the trunk or in a hole amongst the tree's roots (2). As the sun sets, the cloud rat becomes active, feeding on the buds and bark of trees, and on fruits (2) (5). Occasionally, the giant bushy-tailed cloud rat will feed forage on the ground as well as in trees (8). Giant bushy-tailed cloud rats construct their nests in trees, building a bulky structure with cut branches among the top branches of an oak or pine tree. A cosy chamber is created by lining the nest with a thick layer of pine needles, mosses and ferns (2).

The giant bushy-tailed cloud rat occurs in several national parks in northern Luzon (8), including Mount Pulag National Park (3). Hunting of this species is not permitted under Philippine law, except by indigenous people using traditional methods (8).

The giant bushy-tailed cloud rat is one of the most spectacular rodents in Asia (4), with an elongated body; long, bushy tail; and a coat of soft, thick underfur, with long wavy or straight overfur on the upperparts (2) (5), which gives this rat a fluffy appearance (4). The colour of the fur is variable, but is usually dark brown to black on the upperparts, dark greyish on the sides, and iron grey underneath, although some individuals may be whitish on the back and have white underparts (2) (5). The tail, which is longer than the length of the head and body (4), has scant woolly underfur, but is covered with long hairs, and the eyes and ears of this cloud rat are small (5). The hands and feet each have five digits, with the thumb bearing a flattened nail while the other digits have powerful, slender claws. The giant bushy-tailed cloud rat has a strange, shrill cry that has been described as similar to that of some insects (5).

This tree-dwelling rodent inhabits mossy cloud forests and forest of pine and oak (7), where it is most common at elevations of 2,200 metres and above (3).

The giant bushy-tailed cloud rat occurs only in the high mountains of central northern Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines (2) (6).

Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List 2007 (1).

The giant bushy-tailed cloud rat is actively hunted by the local people of central northern Luzon, who value its meat and use its beautiful, wool-like fur to make items (2) (5). Some giant bushy-tailed cloud rats have also been captured to be kept as pets. The deterioration and loss of forest habitat may also be threatening this species (5), as commercial agriculture, population growth and poverty in the Philippines forces people to clear forest for cultivation at increasingly high altitudes (9).

The giant bushy-tailed cloud rat or Luzon bushy-tailed cloud rat (Crateromys schadenbergi) is a large, endangered species of rodent in the family Muridae. 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. Relatively little is known about its behavior, but it is nocturnal, mainly arboreal and feeds on various types of vegetation.

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.

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, which are not found in Luzon. It weighs 1.35–1.5 kilograms (3.0–3.3 lb) and is 73.5–76 centimetres (28.9–29.9 in) long. The very long, soft fur, which also covers the tail, is typically all black, but some individuals have white patches.