| Ziegler's Water Rat | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Muridae |
| Genus: | Hydromys |
| Species: | H. ziegleri |
| Binomial name | |
| Hydromys ziegleri Helgen, 2005 |
|
Ziegler's Water Rat (Hydromys ziegleri) discovered in the mid 2000s by science, is a species of rodent native to the mountains Papua New Guinea of which little is known.[1]
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It was discovered in 2005 by K. Helgen,[2] and later was assessed by Helgen, and A. Allison in 2008.[1] The water rat was named in honor of the deceased Dr. Alan C. Ziegler from the Bishop Museum.[2] It has been rated as data deficient for the purposes of the IUCN redlist due to the fact that insufficient is know about the creature's population range, threats, and numbers.[1] Only two specimens have ever been recorded by scientists.[1] The water rat may be threatened by logging of its forest habitat but more research is needed to codify this theory.[1] It is also believed it may inhabit the northern slopes of its mountain home but study is needed to determine this as fact.[1]
This species inhabits both terrestrial and freshwater systems. This includes forests, subtropical and tropical moist lowland forests, inland wetlands, permanent watercourses, and artificial terrestrial areas.[1] The animal has only been recorded in Bainyik, located on the south slopes of the Princess Alexandra mountains at an elevation of 200 meters (650 feet).[1] The rat has been found to live in creeks and rivers in low lying tropical rain forests but it may also live in higher elevations.[1]