Tokudaia osimensis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	MURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Tokudaia osimensis

Species Authority:

(Abe, 1934)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Amami Spiny Rat, Ryukyu Spiny Rat

Taxonomic Notes:

The population from Tokunoshima originally attributed to this species, was recently elevated to species status as Tokudaia tokunoshimensis by Endo and Tsuchiya, 2006.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Endangered B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Ishii, N. & Kaneko, Y.

Reviewer/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Chanson, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Endangered as the extent of occurrence is less than 5,000 km², its range is severely fragmented, and there is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of the species' habitat due to deforestation, and a decline in the number of individuals due to predation and competition with introduced species.

History:

2000	–	Endangered
1996	–	Endangered (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)
1994	–	Vulnerable (Groombridge 1994)
1990	–	Endangered (IUCN 1990)
1988	–	Indeterminate (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
1986	–	Indeterminate (IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is found only on Amami-oshima island, of the Amami Islands in the Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan. Since 1980, the species has become restricted to the central part of Amami-oshima (Japan RDB, 2002). Currently the species is found in the southwest of Amami-oshima, but there is an isolated population in the northeast (Abe, et al., 2005). Its elevational range is from sea level up to 500 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Japan
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	The species was common on Amami-oshima until the 1960s, when the population declined. The population has been shown to decline with reductions of chinquapin seedlings following some typhoons (Abe, et al., 2005).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The species prefers secondary broad-leaved forests, although it can also be found in intact forests (Abe, et al., 2005). It has not been observed in plantations.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat destruction has severely decreased the available forest habitat on the island (Japan RDB, 2002). Feral cats and dogs present on the island are known to predate this species (Japan RDB, 2002; Abe, et al., 2005). Introduced mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) are a major predator on the island, and competition also exists with Rattus rattus.

Major Threat(s):

Habitat destruction has severely decreased the available forest habitat on the island (Japan RDB, 2002). Feral cats and dogs present on the island are known to predate this species (Japan RDB, 2002; Abe, et al., 2005). Introduced mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) are a major predator on the island, and competition also exists with Rattus rattus.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	It is present in Amami Quasi National Park. The control of introduced predators is needed. It is listed as Endangered (EN) in the Japanese Red List (2007).

Conservation Actions:

It is present in Amami Quasi National Park. The control of introduced predators is needed. It is listed as Endangered (EN) in the Japanese Red List (2007).

Bibliography [top]

	Abe, H., Ishii, N., Ito, T., Kaneko, Y., Maeda, K., Miura, S. and Yoneda, M. 2005. A Guide to the Mammals of Japan. Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, Japan. Endo, H. and Tsuchiya, K. 2006. A new species of Ryukyu spiny rat, Tokudaia (Muridae: Rodentia), from Tokunoshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Mammal Study 31: 47-57. IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008). Kaneko, Y. 2001. Morphological discrimination of the Ryukyu spiny rat (genus Tokudaia) between the islands of Okinawa and Amami Oshima, in the Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan. Mammal Study 26(1): 17-33. Ministry of the Environment. 2007. The revised Japanese Red List. Tsuchiya, K., Wakana, S., Suzuki, H., Hattori, S. and Hayashi, Y. 1989. Taxonomic study of Tokudaia (Rodentia: Muridae): I. Genetic differentiation. Memoirs of the National Science Museum, Tokyo 22: 227-234.

Abe, H., Ishii, N., Ito, T., Kaneko, Y., Maeda, K., Miura, S. and Yoneda, M. 2005. A Guide to the Mammals of Japan. Tokai University Press, Kanagawa, Japan.

Endo, H. and Tsuchiya, K. 2006. A new species of Ryukyu spiny rat, Tokudaia (Muridae: Rodentia), from Tokunoshima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Mammal Study 31: 47-57.

IUCN. 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 5 October 2008).

Kaneko, Y. 2001. Morphological discrimination of the Ryukyu spiny rat (genus Tokudaia) between the islands of Okinawa and Amami Oshima, in the Ryukyu Islands, southern Japan. Mammal Study 26(1): 17-33.

Ministry of the Environment. 2007. The revised Japanese Red List.

Tsuchiya, K., Wakana, S., Suzuki, H., Hattori, S. and Hayashi, Y. 1989. Taxonomic study of Tokudaia (Rodentia: Muridae): I. Genetic differentiation. Memoirs of the National Science Museum, Tokyo 22: 227-234.

Citation:	Ishii, N. & Kaneko, Y. 2008. Tokudaia osimensis. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012.
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