Fun Flores Giant Rat Facts For Kids

The Flores giant rat (Papagomys armandvillei) is a rodent species, which is endemic to Flores Island, Indonesia. To date, two giant rat species, specifically known as Papagomys armandvillei and Spelaeomys florensis have been found in Liang Bua. These species are big in size as compared to other rat species, and they have small tails and small ears. Their diet generally includes fruits, leaves, and sometimes insects.These rodent species habitats can be found in forests, vegetation, and islands among caves and burrows. They have dark hairs on their body. These species information data have been recorded by Rutong Protection Forest. They have brown to bluish-black body coloration. They are quite intelligent. People in certain areas have hunted them for their meat, which has caused an immense decline in their population. Therefore, their conservation status has been listed as Near Threatened according to the IUCN Red List.For more relatable content, check out these Fresno kangaroo rat facts and Burmese rat facts for kids.

What do they prey on? Leaves, buds, fruit, insects

What do they eat? Omnivore

Average litter size? 5-10 pups

How much do they weigh? Up to 20 lb (9 kg)

How long are they? Body length: 16.1–17.7 in (41-45 cm) Tail length: 13–27.5 in (33-70 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Black and brown

Skin Type Hair

What were their main threats? Dogs, Hunting, Cats

What is their conservation status? Near Threatened

Where you’ll find them? Forests, Islands

Locations New Guinea, Indonesia, Liang Bua

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Papagomys

Class Mammalia

Family Muridae

Flores Giant Rat Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a Flores giant rat?The Flores giant rat (Papagomys armandvillei) is a type of rodent found in Indonesia.What class of animal does a Flores giant rat belong to?The Papagomys rat belongs to class Mammalia and phylum Chordata. After many years of their extinction, they have been rediscovered in the Liang Bua cave in Indonesia.How many Flores giant rats are there in the world?The total number of Papagomys present across the world is unknown. They are a Near Threatened species that had become extinct in ancient times in Liang Bua. This species is in danger and is threatened by predation of wild dogs, cats, and subsistence hunting.Where does a Flores giant rat live?These Papagomys species of rodent, belonging to the family Muridae generally live among primary and secondary forests with a wide range of elevation. These rare animals have been found in Indonesia, which shows their existence and livelihood. They went extinct in old days, but they have been recovered in Liang Bua, a hidden cave on the island of Flores of Indonesia. They make burrows and live on them, and many of them prefer to live in a cave.What is a Flores giant rat’s habitat?Their habitat consists of islands and forest vegetation. They are threatened by wild dogs and cats as they feed on these rats. Before modern humans inhabited the islands, they were present in great numbers, but due to civilization, they have decreased greatly.Who do Flores giant rats live with?It is unknown if these rats live in groups or alone.How long does a Flores giant rat live?The total lifespan of this animal has not been calculated. According to data analysis, it has been found that they may live in a group of five to six individuals.How do they reproduce?The breeding habit of these animals is unknown. In the case of those kept in captivity, breeding of Flores giant rats can be encouraged by keeping both sexes together when the heat cycle commences. Ensure that when the heat cycle has started then only you keep them together otherwise there is a chance of the female fighting with the male. Their specific period of reproduction and gestation period is not mentioned. But, it has been estimated that the giant rat species start breeding at the age of seven years. Compared to other rats species who attend sexual maturity at nine weeks, these rodent species become sexually mature after nine weeks. The female can give birth to around six litters at once, and 5-10 pups are also common.What is their conservation status?The Papagomys genus, or the Homo floresiensis hominin, earlier lived in the caves of Liang Bua, which later became extinct a thousand years back. Today, in the modern world, they have been found and discovered on the same island. However, after analysis has been done, their conservation status remains Near Threatened even today, due to their small population. They are mostly threatened by hunting.Flores Giant Rat Fun FactsWhat does Flores giant rat look like?We’ve been unable to source an image of a Flores giant rat and have used an image of a Malagasy giant rat instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Flores giant rat, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].An analysis of data was made by Guy Musser, where he found that the Flores giant rat has a small chunky body, with small ears and a small tail, they have dense dark hair and are black or brown in coloration. They used to adapt themselves with the refuge in burrows and the Homo floresiensis hominin species of rodents used to live in Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores in Indonesia. In the modern period, some of them are still found there on the island and range up to primary, secondary forest vegetation as their habitat. They have been observed eating leaves, fruits, buds, and some other kinds of insects with the help of hypsodont teeth. They have a total body length of around 16.1–17.7 in (41-45 cm), with a tail length of between 13–27.5 in (33-70 cm) and they can grow upto 20 lb (9 kg) in weight, all these dimensions are double from those of brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) which indicates that the body mass is eight times of them.How cute are they?This species is cute, friendly, and intelligent in nature and can be kept as pets.How do they communicate?The means of communication are not specified for this species.How big is a Flores giant rat?The Flores giant rat is 16.1–17.7 in (41-45 cm) in length excluding the tail which measures 13–27.5 in (33-70 cm) in length. They are 15 times bigger than a rice rat.How fast can a Flores giant rat run?The definite running speed of this animal is unknown. However, it is believed that these giant rats can run at a similar speed to other rodent species.How much does a Flores giant rat weigh?The Flores giant rat weighs up to 20 lb (9 kg). They are two to five times smaller than water rats.What are the male and female names of the species?There are no sex-specific names used to describe the male and female Flores giant rats.What would you call a baby Flores giant rat?The baby Flores giant rat is called a pup.What do they eat?The Flores giant rat has a diet of leaves, fruit, buds and sometimes also feeds on small insects with its hypsodont teeth.Are they dangerous?Yes, they are a little dangerous because if they bite people with their sharp teeth or scratch them, they can transmit diseases. They can also contaminate food with their presence. Also, if they urinate in a house, it can cause or bring diseases to humans.Would they make a good pet?Yes, people used to keep them as pets because of their friendly nature. However, due to their Near Threatened conservation status, they are protected by Wildlife Reserves.Did you know…These rats of Liang Bua have a range of four strong teeth on each side of their jaw.What is the biggest breed of rat? The Gambian pouched rat is the biggest breed of rat.How many babies does Flores giant rat have? These rats can have 5-10 pups and the breeding season generally commences when the heat cycle begins.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our Pugalier fun facts and crested gibbon interesting facts pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable rat coloring pages.

What type of animal is a Flores giant rat?

The Flores giant rat (Papagomys armandvillei) is a type of rodent found in Indonesia.

Fun Flores Giant Rat Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Leaves, buds, fruit, insects

What do they eat? Omnivore

Average litter size? 5-10 pups

How much do they weigh? Up to 20 lb (9 kg)

How long are they? Body length: 16.1–17.7 in (41-45 cm) Tail length: 13–27.5 in (33-70 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Black and brown

Skin Type Hair

What were their main threats? Dogs, Hunting, Cats

What is their conservation status? Near Threatened

Where you’ll find them? Forests, Islands

Locations New Guinea, Indonesia, Liang Bua

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Papagomys

Class Mammalia

Family Muridae

Fun Flores Giant Rat Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Leaves, buds, fruit, insects

What do they eat? Omnivore

Average litter size? 5-10 pups

How much do they weigh? Up to 20 lb (9 kg)

How long are they? Body length: 16.1–17.7 in (41-45 cm) Tail length: 13–27.5 in (33-70 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Black and brown

Skin Type Hair

What were their main threats? Dogs, Hunting, Cats

What is their conservation status? Near Threatened

Where you’ll find them? Forests, Islands

Locations New Guinea, Indonesia, Liang Bua

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Papagomys

Class Mammalia

Family Muridae

Fun Flores Giant Rat Facts For Kids

What do they prey on? Leaves, buds, fruit, insects

What do they eat? Omnivore

Average litter size? 5-10 pups

How much do they weigh? Up to 20 lb (9 kg)

How long are they? Body length: 16.1–17.7 in (41-45 cm) Tail length: 13–27.5 in (33-70 cm)

How tall are they? N/A

What do they look like? Black and brown

Skin Type Hair

What were their main threats? Dogs, Hunting, Cats

What is their conservation status? Near Threatened

Where you’ll find them? Forests, Islands

Locations New Guinea, Indonesia, Liang Bua

Kingdom Animalia

Genus Papagomys

Class Mammalia

Family Muridae