What is making all the noise in the forests of Dinagat island… or what is left of them?
The Dinagat Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat, 𝘾𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙮𝙨 𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙨, can only be found on one single island in the whole world - Dinagat Island in Northeast Mindanao!
Also called Buot, a name shared with other small mammals on the island, they were thought to be extinct forever since 1975. Thankfully a local farmer spotted one in 2011, which was confirmed by researchers in 2012 (Řeháková 2015). Buot seem to love going out at night, making noise as they move about in the trees. And they’re beautiful - sometimes with orange or reddish-brown fur, and with long black and white tails!
If you hear rustling noises at night this Undas and Halloween, don’t worry, it might be a good sign biodiversity is alive.
The true fear, is losing them forever 🪦
References and art links
Free coloring page: https://phwildlifeart.gumroad.com/l/dinagat-bushy-tailed-cloudrat-coloring-page
Artprint: https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/filipeanut/dinagat-bushy-tailed-cloudrat-crateromys-australis-with-badlit-or-suwat-bisaya/
You might remember another Dinagat species shared here a few weeks ago, the Dinagat hairy-tailed rat! https://philippinewildlife.art/portfolio/dinagat-hairy-tailed-rat/
Milada Řeháková et al 2015 - Rediscovery of the Dinagat Bushy-tailed Cloud Rat Crateromys australis (Musser, Heaney & Rabor, 1985) (Mammalia: Rodentia: Muridae) from Dinagat Island, Philippines https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307709920_Rediscovery_of_the_Dinagat_Bushy-tailed_Cloud_Rat_Crateromys_australis_Musser_Heaney_Rabor_1985_Mammalia_Rodentia_Muridae_from_Dinagat_Island_Philippines
They were also called Hawili according to Oliver et al 1993 - Cloud rats in the Philippines - preliminary report on distribution and status https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/D1F2340B644B89FA32F99C4832CD603E/S0030605300023942a.pdf/cloud_rats_in_the_philippines_preliminary_report_on_distribution_and_status.pdf
