Laotian

Laotian Rock Rat (Laonastes aenigmamus) is a species of rodent in the family Diatomyidae. It is the only species in the genus Laonastes. This species is known only from the Khammouan Limestone National Biodiversity Conservation Area in Laos, hence the name "Laotian". The Laotian Rock Rat is also known as the "Kha-nyou" in the local language.

Description

The Laotian Rock Rat is a medium-sized rodent, with a head and body length of about 30 cm (12 in) and a tail of about 22 cm (8.7 in). It has a dark grey-brown fur, a long, hairy tail, and a white belly. The feet are adapted for climbing, with long claws and naked soles.

Habitat and Behavior

The Laotian Rock Rat is found in limestone karst forest. It is a nocturnal and solitary animal, spending the day in crevices and emerging at night to feed on plant material, including leaves, stems, and roots.

Conservation Status

The Laotian Rock Rat is listed as "Data Deficient" on the IUCN Red List due to the lack of information about its population size and trends. The main threats to this species are habitat loss due to limestone quarrying and hunting for food.

Taxonomy

The Laotian Rock Rat was first described in 2005 and was initially thought to represent a new family of rodents, the Laonastidae. However, further studies have shown that it is more closely related to the extinct family Diatomyidae, which was thought to have disappeared 11 million years ago.