Eastern voalavo

Eastern voalavo
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Nesomyidae
Genus:	Voalavo
Species:	V. antsahabensis
Binomial name
Voalavo antsahabensis Goodman et al., 2005
Known records of Voalavo antsahabensis (green) and Voalavo gymnocaudus (red)

The eastern voalavo (Voalavo antsahabensis) is a rodent in the family Nesomyidae which occurs in the Anjozorobe forest of eastern Madagascar. Although surveys before 2002 failed to record the species, it is common in some places. However, it is threatened by habitat loss because of slash-and-burn agriculture. The species was formally described in 2005 and is most closely related to the only other species of Voalavo, the northern voalavo from northern Madagascar.

The two species of Voalavo are only subtly different in morphology. With a body mass of 20.7 to 22.6 g (0.73 to 0.80 oz), the eastern voalavo is a small rodent. It has a longer tail than the northern voalavo, as well as a longer rostrum (front part of the skull) and diastema (gap between the incisors and molars), but shorter molar rows. The two species also differ in details of the configuration of the palate.