Tokudaia muenninki

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	MURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Tokudaia muenninki

Species Authority:

(Johnson, 1946)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Muennink's Spiny Rat, Okinawa Spiny Rat

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Critically 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)

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Listed as Critically Endangered as the extent of occurrence is around 100 km², the species' habitat 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 by introduced species.

History:

2000	–	Critically Endangered
1996	–	Endangered
1994	–	Vulnerable (Groombridge 1994)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to Okinawa Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan. It is found only on the northern part (Yanbaru area) of the island, above 300 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Japan (Nansei-shoto)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Population density estimates were of 1.8/ha in 1978 and the population is currently considered to be severely declining (Japan RDB, 2002). A 1994 survey on Mount Yonahadake did not find any individuals, in a place where one was caught in 1974 (Japan RDB, 2002). Surveys in the late 1970s found that the species was relatively easy to catch, but no specimens have been recorded for 35 years since 1978. However, in 2008 live specimens were recorded (F. Yamada pers. comm.).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

Population density estimates were of 1.8/ha in 1978 and the population is currently considered to be severely declining (Japan RDB, 2002). A 1994 survey on Mount Yonahadake did not find any individuals, in a place where one was caught in 1974 (Japan RDB, 2002). Surveys in the late 1970s found that the species was relatively easy to catch, but no specimens have been recorded for 35 years since 1978. However, in 2008 live specimens were recorded (F. Yamada pers. comm.).

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	The species inhabits forest (chinquapins) over 30 years old in the northern part of the island (Japan RDB, 2002). It prefers forests with high undergrowth (Abe, et al., 2005), and has also been found in chinquapin forests surrounded by sugarcane fields (Abe, et al., 2005).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	On the island, deforestation is a major threat, mainly through government forestry programs (Japan RDB, 2002). Also, feral cats in the forest predate this species, which has been speculated to be a factor in population declines (Japan RDB, 2002; Abe, et al., 2005).

Major Threat(s):

On the island, deforestation is a major threat, mainly through government forestry programs (Japan RDB, 2002). Also, feral cats in the forest predate this species, which has been speculated to be a factor in population declines (Japan RDB, 2002; Abe, et al., 2005).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Full protection for all of the Yanbaru region of Okinawa Island is recommended. Management or control of introduced predators is also needed. A conservation education program using this species, as well as Okinawa Rail and Okinawa Woodpecker as flagship species would be beneficial. It is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in the Japanese Red List (2007).

Conservation Actions:

Full protection for all of the Yanbaru region of Okinawa Island is recommended. Management or control of introduced predators is also needed. A conservation education program using this species, as well as Okinawa Rail and Okinawa Woodpecker as flagship species would be beneficial. It is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in the Japanese Red List (2007).

Citation:	Ishii, N. & Kaneko, Y. 2008. Tokudaia muenninki. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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