For Asian bamboo rats (family: Spalacidae), see Bamboo rat.
Amazon bamboo rat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Echimyidae |
Tribe: | Echimyini |
Genus: | Dactylomys |
Species: | D. dactylinus
|
Binomial name | |
Dactylomys dactylinus (Desmarest, 1817)
| |
Subspecies | |
D. d. canescens (Thomas, 1912) |
The Amazon bamboo rat (Dactylomys dactylinus) is a species of spiny rat from the Amazon Basin of South America.[2][3] It is also referred to as coro-coro, Toró, Rato-do-Bambú, or Rata del Bambú in different parts of its range.[4] The bamboo rat prefers to reside in areas of dense vegetation, such as clumps of bamboo or in the canopy.[5] It is an arboreal browser, consuming primarily leaves and spending much of its time off the ground. Because the Amazon bamboo rat spends most of its time in heavily forested areas, it is difficult to observe, and not much is known about its habits.