List of echimyids


is a family of mammals in the order Rodentia and part of the Caviomorpha parvorder. Members of this family are called echimyids or Neotropical spiny rats, and include spiny rats, tree-rats, and cave rats. They are found in South America and Central America, though the nutria has been introduced to the United States, Europe, and Japan. They live primarily in forests, savannas, and grasslands, though some species can be found in shrublands, wetlands, and rocky areas. They range in size from the Sao Lourenço punaré, at plus a tail, to the nutria, at plus a tail. Echimyids primarily eat a wide variety of vegetation, though some species also eat insects. Almost no echimyids have population estimates, but six species—the painted tree-rat, giant Atlantic tree-rat, Lund's Atlantic tree-rat, orange-brown Atlantic tree-rat, Moojen's Atlantic spiny rat, and Yonenaga's Atlantic spiny rat—are categorized as an endangered species, and three—the Mantiqueira Atlantic tree-rat, short-furred Atlantic tree-rat, and red-crested tree-rat—are categorized as critically endangered, while six species of Caribbean cave rat, comprising the three genera of the subfamily Heteropsomyinae, were driven to extinction since 1500 due to the European colonization of the Americas and introduction of non-native rats, with some species surviving until the 1900s.
The 88 extant species of Echimyidae are divided into three subfamilies: Caterodontinae, containing a single species; Echimyinae, containing 75 species in 18 genera, and Euryzygomatomyinae, containing 12 species in 3 genera. The family Capromyidae, or the hutias, has been proposed to be merged into Echimyidae as the subfamily Capromyinae, but the proposal is not yet universally accepted. A few extinct prehistoric echimyid species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries, the exact number and categorization is not fixed.

Conventions

The author citation for the species or genus is given after the scientific name; parentheses around the author citation indicate that this was not the original taxonomic placement. Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the echimyid's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted. All extinct species, subspecies, or genera listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol: "".

Classification

is a family consisting of 88 extant species in 22 genera. These species are divided into three subfamilies: Caterodontinae, containing a single species; Echimyinae, containing 75 species in 18 genera, and Euryzygomatomyinae, containing 12 species in 3 genera. Additionally, the subfamily Heteropsomyinae, containing 6 species in 3 genera, was driven extinct during the modern era due to the European colonization of the Americas, with some species surviving until the 1900s.
  • Family Echimyidae
  • * Subfamily Caterodontinae
  • ** Genus Carterodon : one species
  • * Subfamily Echimyinae
  • ** Genus Callistomys : one species
  • ** Genus Dactylomys : three species
  • ** Genus Diplomys : two species
  • ** Genus Echimys : three species
  • ** Genus Hoplomys : one species
  • ** Genus Isothrix : six species
  • ** Genus Kannabateomys : one species
  • ** Genus Lonchothrix : one species
  • ** Genus Makalata : three species
  • ** Genus Mesomys : four species
  • ** Genus Myocastor : one species
  • ** Genus Olallamys : two species
  • ** Genus Pattonomys : five species
  • ** Genus Phyllomys : thirteen species
  • ** Genus Proechimys : twenty-two species
  • ** Genus Santamartamys : one species
  • ** Genus Thrichomys : four species
  • ** Genus Toromys : two species
  • * Subfamily Euryzygomatomyinae
  • ** Genus Clyomys : one species
  • ** Genus Euryzygomatomys : one species
  • ** Genus Trinomys : ten species
  • * Subfamily Heteropsomyinae
  • ** Genus Boromys : two species
  • ** Genus Brotomys : two species
  • ** Genus Heteropsomys : two species

    Echimyids

The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World, with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the American Society of Mammalogists.

Subfamily Carterodontinae

Subfamily Echimyinae

Subfamily Euryzygomatomyinae

Subfamily Heteropsomyinae